Melody
by Athyra
Summary: A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster meet by chance. Despite their status difference, they manage to get along well...or so it seems. Unexpected problems surface, what else awaits them?[read for detailed summary]AxC,SxSxAxM
1. Prologue Voice

**_SUMMARY:_ **Never forgeting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

**_MAIN PAIRINGs:_ **Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **Text and all related materials are rated **PG13/T** and there is rather **strong and coarse language** and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

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**Prologue - Voice**

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_One regained his voice while the other lost hers..._

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A boy with midnight-blue hair leaned against the bench tiredly. His dull green eyes looked around the park without any emotions. He was sick of this. The park was peaceful, children laughing with their mothers. How could they laugh? How could the park remain the way it was even after his mother's death?

It seemed so long ago that he and his mother had walked down that very path. Everything was wonderful.

But now that his mother was dead, the only connection between him and Father was gone. The boy had become so withdrawn that he had stopped speaking altogether. He still got excellent grades in school, despite his inability to speak. However, bullying was to be expected, and no one wanted to be friends with this 'mute-freak'.

Athrun Zala was lonely and desperate, yet he had no idea how to 'make friends'. There was this one boy and one girl, Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne; they were very kind to him, but he didn't know what to make of it. He wanted to thank them for their efforts, but he couldn't even utter a sound.

He hadn't spoken for so long that he'd forgotten how to do it.

The was why he loved music - it was his way of expressing his feelings. Making sure no one was around, he closed his eyes and was ready to play his small guitar when something stumbled out of the bushes beside him and fell down. Startled, he quickly hid his precious instrument behind him.

The stranger had leaves sticking on him everywhere, mud splattered on his clothing. A messy blonde head rose, and Athrun stared into a pair of wide eyes with an unusual color. The color may be amber, like a cat's; the color might be light orange, like a burning fire's. But his first impression was the color of dawn; he remember seeing the color whenever he walked around the park with his mother.

"You know, it's very rude to stare," the person growled irritably, with a feminine voice, and Athrun blinked. _A girl? _Well, how could he have figured that out? The girl was wearing cargo pants and an over-sized T-shirt, and was covered in dirt from head to toe. Her hair was not that short but not long either, similiar to his. After inspecting the girl curiously, his eyes trailed to the source of problem.

The girl's legs were caught in the bushes and she wiggled around furiously. Her effort were futile and she sighed in exasperation.

"Well, don't just sit there, help me dammit," she glared, and Athrun observed her in silent fascination. A girl, who seemed about his age, just swore. He never heard any other 11-year-olds swear, least likely _a girl._ Just try imagining Lacus swear...nope, he couldn't imagine that.

"Oh for the love of-AIIEEeekkk!" In her anger, she attempted to stand up but tripped over and fell flat on her face, again. Alarm took Athrun and he quickly untangle her legs from the bushes, inwardly blaming himself for not helping her earlier.

The girl sat up and groaned. Her face was stained with dirt and she seemed so miffed that it was hilarious. A breathless laughter echoed in the almost-empty park and Athrun was surprised it came from him.

He was laughing! He was actually laughing aloud!

The girl glared at him and pinched his cheeks, and he yelped in pain. Though shocked, he rejoiced at the fact that he made sounds. He grinned at the girl and held out a hand to her, offering to help her stand up.

"What's so good about me pinching you?" The girl asked in bemusement.

Athrun opened his mouth, and closed it. He made sounds alright, but can he speak? "I-I...," he tried clearing his throat, "..you are...um..."

The girl huffed in annoyance and was about to pinch him again when she saw the time on the clock.

"Damn, I have to go."

Before Athrun could say anything, the girl had already left.

Therefore, everyday, he sat there and waited for her, hoping that she would come. And she did. Everyday they would just play - either hide and seek, or games that involved the girl pinching him.

When she grew tired, she would just sit there quietly, listening to him playing his guitar. Athrun was already feeling that maybe the world wasn't so bad after all. School seemed to be a lot more tolerable now. With her encouragement, Athrun even joined the band (she said he was really good - which made him blush deep red).

Yet, he still didn't know her name, and neither did she. She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact he never really spoke.

One day, something fell out of his pocket when they were playing (or, rather, she was playing and he was just mutely following her instructions.) It was a picture of a woman, and it was framed in black.

"Is she...your mother?" Her amber eyes saddened as she picked it up.

Athrun nodded wordlessly; it seemed that the girl understood the meaning of black frame, symbolizing that the person was no longer in this world.

"My mother died when she gave birth to me," the girl said suddenly. Athrun looked at her in surprise.

"I never had a chance to know her," she continued, "it hurts me to think about her sometimes. You were thinking about your mother too, weren't you? That's why you were crying, wasn't it?"

Instinctively Athrun wiped his cheeks; he didn't even realize he was crying at all in the first place. The girl gazed at him, and grinned abruptly, her mood changed so quickly that Athrun was surprised once again.

"Well, that's why I'm so close to Father. I have my father and I'm happy about that. Since he's my only parent, I've bonded with him more than any other kids!! We're basically inseperable, see? I always play hide and seek with him here but he's pretty busy these days."

She returned the photo to him, giving him an understanding smile. He was somewhat touched, and miraculously, words came out of his mouth.

"Thank you." It sounded shaky, but at last, he had spoken! He smiled back, and the girl blushed, looking away.

"You have a nice voice. Maybe you should sing."

Athrun became so flustered by her compliment that he started stuttering again. The girl grinned in amusement, and Athrun decided that she looked really cute.

Looking at the sunset, she gasped, "Oh no, I've got to find Father...he told me to be home before sunset! See ya!" She quickly ran away, her blonde hair sweeping along the wind.

Athrun wanted to call after her, but she was already gone. He didn't even have a chance to ask for her name!! Staring at the sunset, he mused, "sunset and dawn...I can speak again, Mother. Somehow, I can speak again. We will meet again, right? The girl with eyecolor of dawn..."

His voice was still weak and wavering, but it will grow stronger. Nothing seemed impossible now.

Because of her, his life suddenly got brighter. Nodding his head in resolution, he walked back home. He will start bonding with his Father. Wasn't it that what the girl said? Since he no longer had a mother, he should cherish his father even more... Father will be proud of him.

Athrun looked in the direction where the girl had disappeared, and smiled. "_Thank you, mystery girl_."

* * *

"Hmm, where should I go now? Oh yea, I can always crash at Sting's place. He'll let me stay," a teenager with light-blue hair strolled down the dirty street. 

He scratched his head, almost bored. He didn't look the least bit concerned that his dad had just kicked him out, disowning him officially. In fact, he loved it; gosh, he was free!! Now he could live whatever way he wanted.

He had been hanging around with Sting and the others for god-knows-how-long. Sting Oakley is the leader of Phantom Pain, a notorious gang around the neighborhood. The gang had been involved in several thefts but they were never caught. Their base was an abandoned warehouse Sting had found. The warehouse was an awesome place with paid electricity (there were only two outlets but still). There weren't any furnitures other than a dirty couch and a rather questionable mattress.

However, it was still a great place to hang out and live. Sting was an orphan and had lived a rough street life, but he was still pretty generous to take in gang members. Sven, Orga, Clotho and Shani lived in that warehouse with Sting. Now Auel could finally be a part of the gang, completely.

Auel could bear sleeping on the floor, no problem. The gang members had stolen some wooden planks and made some basic chairs and tables, and pieces of rag were good enough blankets.

"Heh, I ain't givin' Clotho a chance to take my spot! Gotta hurry," he muttered, quickening his footsteps. The unused mattress was unoccupied for now. To be fair, Sting had decided the mattress should be reserved for someone who deserved it. Questionable or not, it was more comfortable to sleep on it than the floor.

"Tsk, look what I found," a rowdy-looking man sneered at a drunken man, pointing to a girl huddling in a corner. Auel stopped and his eyes narrowed.

"Oi, why don't you talk for god's sake?" Rowdy-man grabbed the girl's shoulder harshly. The drunken man snickered stupidly.

The girl shrugged away the hand angrily, a dagger gleaming under the blinking street lamp. The two men backed away warily. Her eyes were ferocious, like a wild beast's. She brandished the dagger expertly, as if she had done this before.

One of the men lunged forward, deciding that she was no threat. One swift swing was all it took - blood splattered onto the cement and the man stumbled away in shock, holding his injured arm.

"Fuck you, bitch!" He snarled. _(see note at bottom)_

Something unexpected happened; the girl dropped the bloody dagger, her arms trembling in obvious distress. Unceramoniously, she dropped to the ground, petrified.

The two men exchanged puzzled looks. The unharmed one ventured forward, poking her slightly. She didn't utter a single sound, not even a squeak. She hugged herself close, her eyes staring into the distance.

"Hmm, you're gonna pay for this later," the man grimaced, "Dunno what just happened, but we'll still have our fun."

"Yeah, the less sound she makes, the easier for us to-" He didn't even have a chance to answer when a fist crushed into his jaw, slamming him towards the wall. The injured one screeched and fled. The other man struggled to stand up, but Auel pointed his pocket knife at him with menace.

"Get the hell out of my sight," Auel snarled coldly. The man nodded in fear and stumbled away.

Seeing that, Auel smirked, "V."

He was proud of what he just did. Oh no, it wasn't out of the kindness of his heart. He wasn't a hero; as his dad had said, he will always be a piece of crap disguised in human skin.

But Auel had a conscience. He wasn't about to let atrocity happen before his eyes. The girl stared at him blankly, her eyes blinking curiously.

"That's an unsual eye color you have," words came out of his mouth before he could stop it. Yes, for the first time in his life, Auel was fascinated by something other than the arcade games. The girl was beautiful, with curly blond hair and a pair of striking magenta eyes.

The girl blinked again, cocking her head cutely. She pointed to his eyes and Auel chuckled, understanding what she meant.

"Yeah yeah, my eyes are unusual too. You should see the other guys - we all have weird eye colors...oh no, not our hair. We dyed our hair," Auel explained quickly when the girl pointed to his hair.

The girl grinned up at him innocently, and Auel blushed. _Why was he even talking to this idiotic girl? Why was he being so nice and patient towards her? She can't even talk for god's sake! Wait..._

"Are you...are you like, mute or something?" Auel asked tentatively. The girl's eyes went wide and teared up immediately. She huddled up into a tighter ball fearfully and started sniffling, but no sobs came out.

Panicking, he quickly bent down and caressed her head awkwardly. Gosh, he hated seeing girls cry. He wasn't really sure what he was doing; he always pat cats to get them to trust him. _But this girl's not a friggin' cat, _Auel told himself. However, just as he was instinctively fond of cats, he was already feeling pretty affectionate towards this girl. He glanced at the bloody dagger, puzzled. He quickly put that in his pocket, not really sure what to do.

He then discovered she was wearing blood-covered clothing. Was she hurt? _Holy-_ Quickly suppressing his initial panick, he figured it wasn't hers since she didn't look...injured. Maybe something similar happened before? The dagger...huh, it was better not to ask.

After awhile, she calmed down, staring up at him with absolute trust. Auel gulped nervously.

"Geez, what am I supposed to do with you now?" He sighed exasperately, scratching his head. He always did that when he was confused or nervous - it was just a force of habit since his head wasn't itchy at all.

"So, you want to show me where you live? I'll take you back," Auel grinned arrogantly, trying to regain his composure. He had a reputation to live up to, dammit.

The girl shook her head, gazing at Auel with an unreadable expression. Yet once again, he understood.

"You're alone in this world too, huh," he muttered. He thought hard; he didn't want to just abandon this lost girl, but he knew he wasn't a guy to take responsibility. _But as a whole, Phantom Pain can..._His cobalt blue eyes lit up.

"You can stay with me and the gang. I'm sure you can stay with us. They're pretty awesome guys. Lazy, yeah but still pretty decent even though we steal and stuff. Heh, that doesn't make any sense does it?" Auel scratched his head again.

The girl beamed at him; she seemed excited at his idea. Her eyes shone in gratitude, and Auel knew he did the right thing.

"Well, you can't really answer me but tell me, somehow, what's your name? I've got to call you something, don't I?"

She shrugged, looking depressed. _So she doesn't have a name? _Auel gazed at her sympathetically. _She's really pretty...she should have an equally pretty name. Wait, I remember one of the books that damn nerd Orga was reading...uh, what was it...Stellar-something..._

"Stellar. I'll call you Stellar,"Auel smiled, muttering her name in wonder. She nodded happily, and her eyes shone with joy like glitters of stars. She seemed to like that name.

"Okay, from now on you're part of Phantom Pain. You...hmm?" Stellar pointed to her throat, glancing at him worriedly.

Auel shrugged, "Nah, don't worry about it. So what if you can't talk? The guys won't mind," he flashed her his trademark cocky smirk, yet it was a smile of kindness at the same time.

"I'll protect you and, besides, I'll be your voice."

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_note: This line of swear word is probably one of the only two swear words that will appear in the future. As you can probably figure it out what that line of words is to Stellar._

End of Prologue

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**A/N:** So, what do you guys think? After a pretty successful fanfic(YAY!), _As Guilty as Innocent_, I decide to actually write out a fic of an idea I had long ago. Voila!

It's only a prologue, that's why it's a tad angsty. The real plot starts next - this chap is like a background info type of thing. Now, this story will mostly be in either Shinn's, Athrun's, or Auel's POV. They are the three main characters in the story. But no Shinn in this chapter?! Well, he's just an ordinary guy with an almost ordinary background XD

In the anime, Auel's hidden affection towards Stellar may be brotherly or romantic. But he seemed to be jealous of Shinn the brief moment they met, and Auel had always been somewhat resentful towards Neo. After Auel and Sting's memories were erased, Auel felt that something was missing from the hangar - Gaia, and Stellar. So, perhaps he really did love her after all but as an Extended, he wouldn't understand the feeling anyways.

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Please review and tell me what you guys think!

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Athyra (ooo, it's Easter!)


	2. Chapter 1 Fateful Encounter

**_SUMMARY:_ **Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

**_MAIN PAIRINGs:_ **Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **Text and all related materials are rated **PG13/T** and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

_This chapter is in Shinn's POV. Many characters may seem different than expected because it's from his perspective XD_

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**Chapter 1 - Fateful Encounter**

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_Friends were made, and thus began the story..._

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Groaning in exhaustion, Shinn Asuka leaned against the wall in relief. He managed to made it in time, before the door shut in his face. What would he do if he missed this train? Yzak will have his head off for sure.

Ah yes, Shinn Asuka, a main character in this story, was a car mechanic. Wasn't that a bit too plain for a main protagonist? Nope, Shinn himself was happy with it; he loved his job. He loved the sound of metal clanking, the motor running...yes, he was hopelessly obsessed with cars.

And now, he was short on money. Oh no, he wasn't an alcoholic or a gambler; he was saving enough money so he could get his dream car, a Ferrari Spider 360. So, in reality, Shinn was a rich man. He just wanted to make sure most of his salary goes to the bank, so that left very little spending money on him.

"Eh, riding on an airplane would give my stomach the jibbers anyways, so the train's an obvious choice," Shinn muttered to himself. No, he wasn't insane; when he complained, he would talk to himself and that...was...normal.

"What the-," Shinn stopped his swearing when an old lady glared at him reprimandingly. But, still, the train was fricking full! Did he have to stand all the way? No freaking way!

Stuffing his hands into his pocket grumpily, he stormed from cart to cart, trying to spot a vacant seat. Finally, on the very last cart, he found an empty two-seater. His face lit up in joy, and as he was about to walk there...

Someone brushed past him brusquely and sat down on that very spot. That guy even had the nerve to put his guitar on the other seat, so casually too!

Shinn snapped. "Hey! Some people needs to sit too, you know?"

The guy with midnight blue hair looked mildly surprised, but he let a out a good-humored laugh, "Sorry about that. I was kind of deep in thought. Here," he promptly moved his guitar against the window. Shinn slumped down on the seat with a huff.

Silence ensued, but it wasn't exactly uncomfortable. Shinn glanced at the other man curiously. From one look, he knew the man wasn't an ordinary person; he had a mature feeling, handsome and intelligent face, and very trendy clothing.

No, Shinn wasn't gay; he was just truthful.

After awhile, Shinn spoke up, eyeing the guitar, "So, are you a pro musician or something? If you're like, famous or something, don't mind me, 'coz I don't really care."

The man laughed again, making Shinn mad. "What's so funny?"

"Haha, sorry about that. It's just...you're different from most people. Yes, in fact, I'm leader and guitarist of a band named Akatsuki. And I guess you can say we're pretty famous. I'm Athrun Zala."

"Oh. Shinn Asuka here," he shrunk back a little, out of embarassment.

"No, no, it's quite alright. I don't know what I would've done if you're a fan or something... I kind of need to take a break from my work for now," Athrun said, shrugging.

"Hm, if you're so famous, why don't you take private airplane or something? Isn't that what celebrities usually do?" Shinn asked bluntly.

"Nah, I miss riding on the train. It gives people...a nice, serene feeling. In fact I was...I just visited my mother's grave."

"Oh. Me too," Shinn mumbled, surprised at the coincidence. As expected, solemn silence ensued, and Shinn's mind went blank.After awhile, Athrun spoke up.

"It must be fate that we meet, then. So, where are you going?"

"Onogoro. I'm a head car mechanic at ZAFT Car Shop, you?"

Athrun chuckled, "It really must be fate. I'm going to Onogoro too. I'm meeting up with my band there...wait, ZAFT Car Shop? Is Yzak Joule the owner, by any chance?"

Shinn was astonished; too many coincidences was freaking him out. "Yea, you're right. How much do we have in common anyways, despite our different jobs?"

Athrun shrugged, "Let's find out, then. We still have a long way to go..."

The two young men talked the whole way. After the initial shock, Shinn started to warm up the guitarist and vice versa. Shinn was secretly fascinated by Athrun - unlike him, Athrun had a goal to achieve, a dream. A car mechanic like him was definitely out of his league but they were talking as if they were friends. No, as of now, they already were friends.

Who would've thought something like this could happen? A celebrity discussing about different flavors of doughnuts with a car mechanic. It was a weird world after all.

"Ah, we're here," Athrun stood up, slinging the guitar across his back. He took out a pair of sunglasses and a cap, efficiently disguising himself.

"Heh, you look like a fugitive or something. Hey, you could pass for a serial killer!" Shinn smirked. Athrun grinned innocently, "Who knows? I might be lying to you all the time but actually have a all sorts of killing weapons in my guitar case."

Shinn blinked and backed away. His hand searched for his precious wrench frantically. Right, so he thought he could take on a serial killer with a wrench. Bravo, Shinn, bravo.

Athrun bit his lips to stop himself from laughing, "Gosh, Shinn. Don't take it seriously. I was only teasing you."

Blushing deep red, Shinn hastily hid the wrench behind him and muttered, "I know that."

When they walked out of the train station, there was a limo waiting for Athrun. The driver rolled down the window and yelled, "Over here!" Like Athrun, he was wearing sunglasses too.

"That Kira...what's the point of disguise when he made himself so conspicuous?" Athrun rolled his eyes exasperately. True enough, such a gorgeous, expensive-looking limo attracted quite a crowd already. Shinn's eyes lit up in excitement; how he desperately wanted to examine such a beauty! But he hated being the center of attention as well. Wisely, he stayed back.

"Well, it's nice meeting you," Athrun waved, walking away towards the limo.

Shinn watched, transfixed, as the car sped away. How nice it was to be a rich person, to own awesome cars.

"Oy oy, Shinn, get your ass in here," Dearka Elthman drove a (typical, crappy) convertible to the sideway, gesturing for him to run. Shinn blinked; yup, it looked like he was going back into his normal life now. His ordinary, uneventful life. Or so he thought.

* * *

"SHINN!! HERE YOU ARE!" Yzak Joule hollered, stomping towards him in obvious rage. Shinn was used to it; after all he himself yelled most of the time. 

"You're lucky I gave you a few days off...do you have any idea how incessantly annoying your 'favorite' client is? She keeps phoning me about her damn car which you have yet to fix!"

"My _favorite_ client? You must be kidding me!" Shinn shouted indignantly, apparently horrified at the fact that Yzak would call 'her' his favorite client.

"Of course there's no way in hell I'm your favorite client!! If I am, you'd fix my damn car already!!!!" An angry voice screeched at him and Shinn cringed. _Oh-oh, here we go._ The hair on his neck stood, and cold sweat slid down his forehead. He slowly turned around to find a pair of angry amber eyes shooting _lances_ at him. Yes, a new phrase to replace 'shooting daggers' was needed at situation like this.

Cagalli Yula Athha was not a woman to be trifled with; piss her off and you'll find yourself in pain, physically. Instinctively, Shinn's hand went to his arm, which had once suffered Cagalli's powerful punch.

"Well, I'll let you deal with it," Yzak smirked at his subordinate's obvious misfortune and left.

Shinn groaned. He glared at Cagalli and growled impatiently, "How many times do I have to tell you: Go. Buy. A. Friggin'. New. Car. Already!! Your car's been breaking down so many times that I already know, by heart, how to fix it!!"

"Well, do it already dammit!" Cagalli snarled back, "Unlike other people, I don't have the luxury of buying a new car. And unlike some people, I NEED MY DAMN CAR FOR TRANSPORTATION!!"

Their customer-mechanic relationship had long disintergrated; both were hot-headed, impulsive and frank. They were comfortable with it, though; despite their shouting matches, they got along pretty well. Between her and polite, formal clients, Shinn would rather deal with her - since he knew how to handle her (aka, shout back).

They first met when Cagalli's old, second-hand car broke down the first time. Ever since then, she came to him to fix her car because she couldn't trust that 'laid-back Elthman' or that 'grumpy-ol'Joule'.

Backing away, Shinn decided his abused eardrums were more important than his pride. After Yzak's rant, he couldn't bear baka Athha's as well.

"Alright alright, I'll have it ready tomorrow," Shinn sighed defeatedly, feeling terribly stressed.

Cagalli stared at him for awhile, and asked in concern, "Are you alright? Is it," she paused hesitantly, "about your sister?"

_Is it that obvious?Huh, Athha can be nice if she wants to. _"Yea, but she's fine. It's just, well, her classmates have been bullying her again. I hate it when I'm not there to help her," he muttered angrily.

Nodding in agreement, Cagalli looked away, "I understand what you mean. Anyways, I'll come back tomorrow."

Shinn nodded. _She's thinking about her father, I guess. _He shook his head, trying to focus on the current task.

Okie-dokie, so his daily routine was back: fix Cagalli's car, argue with Joule, go back and fix Cagalli's car, argue with Elthman about the definition of 'love', watch Elthman being verbally abused by Milly (their store's clerk), fix other client's cars; argue with Joule one last time, and there, the end of his day. And the exact cycle repeats again...well, not precisely the same but, you know what he meant.

"See you tomorrow, Shinn," Miriallia waved at him, giving him 'the look'. Shinn rolled his eyes and nodded. _'The look'_ was interpreted as: get 'Elthman-off-my-back-or-you-will-suffer-as-well' look. In certain aspects, Milly was scarier than Cagalli. You never know when Milly would poison their drinks...

"Hmmm, let's see...alright, I'll take a look at his concert," Shinn muttered to himself as he walked down the street. No, this was totally normal. As stated above, he was not insane because talking to himself was not insane.

He arrived in front of a huge stadium. Already there were rows and rows of people lining up, unblievably excited about the upcoming concert later tonight. Seriously, literally herds and herds of people.

Shinn glanced at the fans with distaste. Many teenage girls were holding banners with words like "REY YOU'RE SO COOL" and "ATHRUN WE LOVE YOU!!!". _Wow, he was right. He really is famous...I can understand why he's so relieved when he knew I ain't a fan. _Shinn smirked to himself.

Some were wearing what was known as 'Kira-jackets' and 'Lacus-shawls'. Some even had purses called the "Lunar brand"!!! And, seriously, the majority of people was wearing T-shirts with the band's logo.

_Oh my god is that Miriallia and Dearka?! _Shinn gaped at his collegues. Dearka was frowning grumpily, staring at Milly who was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Kira, Rey and Athrun. But, hell, Dearka himself was holding a banner of Lacus and Lunamaria.

This was ridiculous!! Was the Akatsuki really that famous?

"What did you say?" A crowd of very, _very_ irked fans advanced towards him threateningly. Oops, did he just say that aloud? Quickly, he made himself scarce by running away as fast as possible.

"What the hell is wrong with those people-" Shinn growled, slowing down, but words were caught in his throat as his eyes fell upon a distant figure.

A blonde-haired woman was twirling around in a beautiful blue dress, spinning, and her arms waving in rhythm. Her hair blew with the wind and her magenta eyes sparkled with delight at the simple prospect of dancing. The girl seemed lost in her own world. When their eyes connected, Shinn felt a strange emotion tugged at his heart, making it thump rapidly.

The girl waved cheerfully, and he waved back, feeling heat rushing to his face.

He could just stare at her forever. _Who is she?_ He thought dreamily

Suddenly, the girl tripped and rolled down the hill she was dancng on. Alarmed, Shinn quickly ran towards her. The girl slowly sat up as if nothing had happened. She gazed at Shinn's worried expression quizzically.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The girl nodded, but she winced when she attempted to stand up. Shinn squinted at her ankle and told her that she probably had a twisted ankle.

"Um...so, where do you live? I can take you back if you want," Shinn scratched his head, surprised at himself.

The girl blinked, and leaned forward, so close that he could even smell her strawberry shampoo. He blushed deep red, unable to withdraw his gaze from her curious expression. The girl grinned and touched his face with her finger. Her finger was smudged black, her large, innocent eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Ah, that must be the oil," Shinn muttered with embarassment, hastily wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his work cloth. Key word: _work_ cloth - he didn't give a damn about it. Note to self - always check appearance after work.

Then it just hit him that he had yet to hear her speak. "So, what's your name? I'm Shinn. Shinn Asuka."

The girl looked away, her eyes looking about as if searching for someone. Shinn shrugged at the odd behaviour and stood up, offering her his hand.

She tried to stand up but tripped once again, and Shinn's hands shot out to balance her only...the hands didn't really land at the appropriate places. His face flushed crimson when he felt something soft against his hands...

"What the hell, bastard!" An angry voice yelled and a solid fist connected with his face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Recovering from the initial shock, Shinn glared at the newcomer furiously, "Who the hell are you, punching me like that? It was an accident, damn it!" He wiped blood from his lips.

The newcomer was a man with light-blue hair, wearing ragged clothing, torn at some places to show off his sinewy muscles. He crossed his arms, "Name's Auel, you pervert. How dare you do that to her when she couldn't even complain against you?"

He clenched his fist, ready to hit Shinn again but the girl quickly stopped him. Auel glanced at her, and it seemed that they communicated with their eyes.

"What's going on?" Shinn wondered aloud. _Is she like, mute or something?_The girl's behaviour reminded him of Mayu's, his little sister. Mayu was mute and Shinn had learned to be perceptive...somewhat.

Auel glared at him, "Hnff. It seemed like you don't mean any harm to Stellar. I'll let you go this time. But, I warn you, don't get any funny ideas, 'cuz I'll be watching you."

He got down on his knees and turned around. The girl automatically got onto his back. After making sure she was secure on his back, Auel stood up and walked away with care. She looked back and waved, smiling.

Shinn blinked and stared after them. Well, that was pleasant. It was definitely unexpected.

What a weird...couple? Siblings? Who were they??

_Ch, that Auel sure knows how to punch._

He rubbed his sore cheek sourly, grimacing. There will be one nasty bruise, for sure.

_Stellar...is it?_

From that moment on, Shinn knew that his life will be different and more complicated than he would've liked.

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End of Chapter 1

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**A/N:** O.o I didn't expect that many supports for this story...I'm extremely HAPPY! Thank you readers! Also, I'm too busy watching the hockey playoffs **:P** Go Canucks!!!

Well, first chapter of this story, Shinn's chapter! I feel that, as an angsty-uber-angsty character in the anime, Shinn should have some um, relaxing situation(?) in his life. He will maintain his pompous attitude (so will Auel). The two will be rather similar in terms of personality: arrogant, protective and generally is a nice guy under the tough facade. That's right, Shinn Asuka, you've met your match.

Alright, so Shinn gets along well with Athrun, and not so good with Auel. What will happen next?

Next - Athrun's chapter!

Thanks for reading! Please review **:D**

P.S. Does anyone have trouble uploading documents? I can't upload anything at all (this chap was uploaded a long time ago)

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Athyra


	3. Chapter 2 Akatsuki

**_SUMMARY:_ **Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

**_MAIN PAIRINGs: _**Athrun x Cagalli,Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them! I also don't own Yuna Ito and Chiba Saeko's songs._

_**WARNING: **Text and all related materials are rated **PG13/T** and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

_This chapter is in Athrun's POV._

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**Chapter 2 - Akatsuki**

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_He who writes songs and she who paints finally meet for the first time……or is it?_

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"I told you not to shout aloud, Kira," Athrun chided his best friend half-heartedly as he slumped against the seats in the limo. He sighed in bliss, "Ah, limo cushions definitely beat train seats…"

"What, is it really that bad?" Kira asked, amused.

"No, that's not what I mean. But think about it, sore muscles need soft cushions!"

"Of course, that's why you have a personal collection of pillows," a pink-haired woman teased.

The lead singer of the band sat in the front passenger seat besides Kira. Athrun rolled his eyes, smirking, "Why not, Mrs. Yamato? Poor ol' me don't have anyone to cuddle with at night."

Kira and Lacus blushed deep red. It was true; Kira and Lacus were already married. The public wouldn't stop harassing the couple for almost four months. Even now, some over-zealous fans still resented their marriage. However, most people supported their relationship, saying that it was adorable and they match.

_Truthfully, I think they match too_, Athrun thought. The three were best friends ever since they were little, and they were all very passionate about music. With Lacus's voice, Kira's drums and Athrun's guitar, the three made a formidable band even back then. When they graduated from university, they coincidentally met Rey za Burrel and Lunamaria Hawke in a karaoke bar. Upon discovering Luna's talent for singing and piano, and Rey's amazing bassist skills, they formed a real band right away.

After awhile, their small-scale concert attracted the attention of a famous producing company and now, they were big – they were one of the most famous bands in Orb! After all, each of their band members were very good with either a musical instrument or singing. Lacus sang most of the time but when her violin was required for the slower songs, Luna would be the one singing instead. Her voice was great as well, as great as her piano skills. Sometimes Kira and Athrun sang as the chorus and sometimes Athrun sang solo. Rey arranged the music while Athrun wrote the song. The girls wrote the lyrics together. Overall, their band was very efficient and cooperative. Each of the band members had their equal share of stalkers...

At this, Athrun chuckled. "What's so funny, Poor still-single Zala?" Kira teased.

"Nah, nothing. It's just that, I met a really weird guy on the train – he's never even heard of us before! Not that I mind or anything."

"That's definitely a relief...I mean, I really want to take a break and go on to the honeymon we really deserve," Kira glanced at his wife, who giggled. "Come now, Kira. Our honeymoon wasn't that bad! The whole hotel...just...happened to know us."

"Yea, and stalking us 24/7 for our signatures," Kira mumbled, "I mean, I'm really honored that so many people know about us but seriously, on our honeymoon?"

The limo parked smoothly in a garage packed with security guards. Even then, the three could still spot several reporters lurking outside.

"Sometimes I prefer reporters...since, at least you can see them," Athrun sighed, recalling an unpleasant experience with a papparazzi.

"Athrun! Over here!"

Glancing at the the direction of the voice, Athrun sneered at Kira, "You know, you're way too influential sometimes...in a bad way. Now she's even more careless about attracting attention now, like you!!"

Kira shrugged, mock-saluting, "Thanks for the compliment. But, I think it evens out, Luna's talkative, Rey's not."

Lunamaria Hawke rolled her eyes as she greeted her friends, "No-o. That's not the reason I was shouting! No, seriously, the manager's close to tears. He thought you wouldn't show up, Athrun. We do have a huge concert tomorrow, you know. You better go talk to him."

Athrun chuckled, "Poor guy, he can be over dramatic sometimes."

The four quickly got into the elevator and headed towards the recording room.

As usual, Rey za Burrel was sitting there, his eyes closed and his fingers gliding over the guitar skillfully.

Kira nudged Luna's arm, "Seriously, if you're so much into him, you two should just hook up."

Blushes adorned her face, being caught at staring. She huffed indignantly and stormed towards her electronic piano, no doubt getting rid of her raging emotion. Athrun looked at Kira quizzically, "What's with you today? You seemed a lot more...well, you're weird today."

Lacus chortled, "He's just really happy that he won Poker several hours ago. Anyways, let's get to practice shall we? I know you just got back Athrun but..."

"Hey, I'm the leader of the band, so I should be reponsible for the practices," Athrun grinned good-naturedly.

As he slid the guitar onto his shoulder, Athrun felt himself compeltely transported into a different world. He felt he was in control; he felt he had the power in such trance.

Whenever he played his guitar, whenever he opened his mouth to sing, his mind automatically went to the blonde haired girl he met so long ago. He could never forget her amber eyes. He could never forget the emotions he felt then.

Whenever he wrote the songs, he would always concentrate on his feelings about the girl. She somehow cured him of his inability to talk. It was because of her, he had his current life. He was able to open up more and more, bonding with his friends and be courageous.

Whenever he felt down, he would always remember the girl's optimistic view of life and her frank personality - it was enough for him to just 'get over it and face any problems.' What did he have to lose by being more open?

The day regained his ability to talk was the last time he ever saw her. He had waited there everyday, hoping and praying, but she never came back. He was crushed, of course, but due to his regained ability, he quickly made friends and was inseperable with Kira and Lacus ever since. He was forever grateful to the mystery girl.

That was why he named their band Akatsuki. So he won't forget. So he'll always remember her.

* * *

_It's because I love you so much that I hurt you, that I'm so confused _

_Coming close to your cold cheek, my soul was born _

_I always want to see you right away _

_I love you so much I can't speak, so how will you see my kindness? _

_Hold me tighter, I believe in your warm heart _

_Farewell, solitaire, to tomorrow _

_Because I'm so small, I give everything, but it's not enough _

_This hand, which can't hide anything at all, I want to give to you _

_We still have to see off the white dawn _

_Why was I able to run across someone this important? _

_Holding on to these fingers that they almost hurt, I see the dream that had disappeared into sadness _

_Farewell, solitaire _

Such beautiful lyrics, Lacus's violin and Kira's soft drums were enough to make the audience cry. Athrun glanced at Luna and Rey, amused; Luna seemed to be intensely focused on singing this song, and since Rey's bass wasn't needed, the blonde man was watching Luna intently.

As the song ended, the audience stood up immediately, clapping. Some people's face were filled with tears, and Athrun could understand the feeling. He couldn't help but admire Lacus's violin; it was such a peaceful yet sad melody. Sure he wrote the song but still, hearing it just made him so...

Emotional.

Bowing to the audience, the band memebers took their respective positions for the last song. Luna started the introductory part with her piano, and Lacus started singing - her sweet voice that captivated thousands and thousands of fans.

_If you haven't changed your mind  
Then I want you by my side Tonight_

_I'm so tired of always having to bluff  
Everytime I think about you baby, I feel so young  
If I could just tell you I miss you  
It's so hard to say I'm sorry_

_You see, I want to sing this song, not for just anyone  
but just for you  
An ENDLESS STORY that keeps on shining  
Always, I wanna show you, forever and ever_

_Memories of our time together  
this way, they don't go away -_

At once, Athrun's heart was enveloped by a warm feeling; the feeling of love and admiration. Unlike other songs, he had written the lyrics for this one. He had writen the lyrics for _her. _The brief meeting that had changed his life forever. The brief glimpse at the girl's heart, but an endless gratitude for her.

_And love?_ Smiling, Athrun shook his head, earning a few squeals from the audience, just from seeing his handsome smile.

_"You have a nice voice. You're good with your guitar too. Perhaps you should sing."_ Her words still echoed in his mind. Somewhere, out there, he hoped that at least she'd heard his songs...

"Thank you!" Lacus grinned and all band members waved, causing the stadium to explode into thunderous applause and chants for encore.

"So, Athrun? Did the manager say we have to do an encore song?" Kira whispered, and Athrun shrugged. As if on cue, the announcer's voice proclaimed the end of the concert, earning a wave of disappointed groans from the fans.

"It makes me so happy how people love our songs," Lacus laughed happily as the band walked down the hallway to the resting area. Kira locked his arm around Athrun's neck, "Or, you mean, the songs _he_ wrote. So proud of ya, buddy!"

"Onee-chan! You guys were fantastic out there!" Meyrin Hawke stood up from the couch and clapped her hands excitedly. Luna hugged her sister and the rest greeted the red-hair.

"So, you got off work early?" Athrun asked, unbuttoning his jacket and grabbing a towel to wipe away his sweat. What a precious scene...if a picture of his nice chest was taken at this very moment, someone could've made big bucks...

"Yeah, some students skipped classes today...and I assume they were here at this concert!" Meyrin grinned at Athrun affectionately. If Luna was her blood-sister, then Athrun was definitely her big brother, even though they weren't related. Luna didn't really think that way, but to Meyrin, Athrun was one cool brother (which he was).

Meyrin worked at an Art Studio as the owner's assistant, and they helped students improve their skills and prepare their portfolios, so they can get into art colleges. While the Hawke sisters had similar interests, it was Meyrin who inherited the artistic talents.

"So, did you manage to persuade your boss to come this time?" Kira looked around the room, trying to spot that certain person.

"Oh, don't call her 'boss', she hates that. Cagalli-san prefered to be called by her first name. And, as a matter of fact, I did managed to drag her to your concert," Meyrin grinned smugly, as if she accomplished something difficult...which was true. She'd been trying to invite Cagalli to the Akatsuki's concert for a long time, but the blonde was always out of town for god-knows-what-reason.

"Hmm? Is that so? Where is she, then?"

"Right behind you."

Kira jolted slightly turned to around to find a curious pair of amber eyes staring at him. Meyrin walked up to her friend slash employer.

"Everyone, this is Cagalli Yula Athha, the most talented oil painter you would ever meet."

"Aw, come on Meyrin, you always flatter me too much," Cagalli muttered in embarrassment. Yes she loved being complimented (who doesn't?) Nevertheless, she couldn't help but blush whenever someone praise her art. Meyrin then introduced the band members to her. Cagalli couldn't help but stare at Athrun, puzzled by something at the back of her mind.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Cagalli-san.," Lacus smiled, "We've heard so much about you from Meyrin. She'd shown us your paintings and, wow, they are really amazing."

"They're nothing compared to your voice. That song 'Fields of Hope' is simply touching. I can feel your emotions from those songs...it makes people reminisce about things," Cagalli replied, grinning.

Lacus chuckled, "Thank you, but it is Athrun who composed the music. He is very talented."

Athrun, too, was staring at Cagalli in confusion. Blonde hair, amber eyes...could it be? Nah, that was impossible. Anybody could have blonde hair and amber eyes...right?

"You know, it's rude to stare at people," Cagalli commented, waving her hand in front of his eyes. He blinked rapidly, flustered. He just got a sense of deja vu but couldn't really identify that particular memory.

"Um, I-I need to drink some water...er, I'm a bit thirsty," Athrun mumbled, knowing it was the lamest excuse ever. He quickly left the room in order to recompose himself.

"Yoo-hoo, Athrun, you've been weird ever since we meet Cagalli. What's wrong?" Kira popped about behind him suddenly, almost causing the blunette to die of cardiac arrest.

"Jesus, Kira! What's wrong with _you_?" Athrun glared at his friend, "And for your information, nothing's wrong, okay? Like I said, I'm thirsty."

"Thirsty for water or thirsty for Cagalli?"

Athrun's face heated up instantly, "Seriously Kira, what's with you?"

The brunette shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know, it's so fun teasing you. I've never seen you so worked up like this before. Tell me, you like her, right?"

"W-what makes you think that?" Athrun sputtere indignantly.

"Dude, you couldn't stop oggling her."

"No I wasn't oggling. I was..just...looking at her in admiration."

"Rrrrrriiiight, and I'm a superhuman pilot of a powerful mobile suit. Admit it, you - like - her!"

Athrun sighed. The image of her sharp, intelligent eyes flashed in his mind, and he felt his heart beat a little faster. Why? Was he really attracted to her? So fast? He wasn't the guy to believe in love at first sight.

"I don't know. I just feel like...well, I want to get to know her more."

Kira nodded, "fair enough. Alright, you get back there and ask her to come to our get-together party next weekend. Try to see if you really like her or not."

_And it can be my chance to find out if she is the girl from my memories. So the party wouldn't be such a bad idea. It can distract other people and we can have a private conversation..._, Athrun thought.

"Fine, I'll do it."

When they got back to the room, Luna, Lacus and Cagalli were talking as if they were best friends already. The blonde seemed to be complaining about something.

"Ugh, he makes me so mad!! Everytime, he tells me to get a new car. Pff, as if I have the friggin' money! I'm paying money to get him to fix the car, so he should just do it!!!"

"I get what you mean. Sometimes, when you do something, he always does the opposite of what you expect, right?" Luna muttered, glancing at Rey in annoyance. The latter remained indifferent and seemed to be concentrating on ...eating a putin.

"Who are you talking about?" Lacus asked Cagalli quickly.

"Oh, um, I don't suppose you guys know. You know ZAFT Car Shop? I'm talking about one of the head mechanic there."

"Brash attitude, easily irritated...you're talking about Shinn Asuka, aren't you?" Athrun walked towards them.

Cagalli blinked in surprise, "um, yeah, that's the one. You know him?"

Athrun shrugged, "We've only met once." His eyes lit up at recalling something, "Oooh, so you are the 'annoying, stubborn and pain-in-the-ass' client he was talking about!" He muttered. Cagalli's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Say what!?"

He gulped uncomfortably under her intense glare, "Er, um, hey, don't look at me, I was only repeating what he said!"

She clenched her fists, and Athrun laughed nervously. He quickly changed the subject, "So, um, do you have anything to do this weekend? We're having a party - there's going to be a contest of some sort, but we don't know what it is yet. Would you like to come?"

Cagalli looked surprised at the invitation and she fidgeted uncomfortably."Um, I'm really sorry, but I have something planned that day." She wrinkled her nose as if in disgust, "I'd love to get out of _that_ but I'm afraid I can't. Sorry."

Disappointment was apparent on Athrun's face but he tried to hide it. "Well, it's okay. The offer's available, so if you just want to drop by or something..."

Cagalli's phone suddenly rang and she quickly read the text message. She groaned in frustration, almost angry. "Hey, I'm gonna take off. Something came up. It's nice meeting you all." Her gaze lingered on Athrun momentarily, and she quickly left.

"So sorry, man, but there's always next time," Kira patted Athrun's shoulder. The latter sighed, his shoulder sagging. Kira glanced at Meyrin, "Hey Meyrin, do you know what she's doing next weekend, by any chance?"

The redhead rolled her eyes and muttered, "I bet she's meeting that prick again..."

"Who?" Athrun blinked in surprise. Mild, sweet Meyrin...saying a word like 'prick'?

"Oh, it's this really pathetic loser who Cagalli's father wanted her to marry," Meyrin scowled in disgust, "Seriously, why would her father want Cagalli to marry such a...a...grghh! Whenever he comes to our studio, it's just...oh forget it!"

To get Meyrin so irritated...this guy must be really awful. Lacus looked thoughtful, "An arranged marriage, huh."

Already, Athrun was consumed by jealousy. To meet with such a guy rather than coming to their party?

_No matter, like Kira said, there's always next time._

And so the mission began.

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End of Chapter 2

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**A/N:** Well, here's Athrun's chapter! I'm pretty sure you all know who the 'prick' is. Typical, yes, but you will get to meet him later and he, will be different then you think hehe. Just as Shinn's portrayal, this fic is most light-hearted so that's why Kira is...a bit...weird? I think he's the jokester of the group (along with Tolle) had the war not changed him in the anime.

Cagalli and Athrun don't remember each other. Naturally, they wouldn't what each other would look like after 11 years. Heck, if my friend in kindergarden suddenly walks up to me and says he knows me, I wouldn't remember him at all. Cagalli, painter? More will revealed in the future.

Oh yes, in this fic, Cagalli and Kira aren't siblings.

"Sayonara, Solitaire" by Chiba Saeko - The ending theme from Chrno Crusade. Beautiful, sad song. I highly recommend it.

"Endless Story" by Yuna Ito - again, great song and you get addicted to it. Insert song from NANA the Movie.

Thank you all so much for reading!! **:DDDD**

(really hyper because the Canucks advance to next round XDDDD)

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Athyra


	4. Chapter 3 Phantom Pain

**_SUMMARY:_ **Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

**_MAIN PAIRINGs:_ **Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **Text and all related materials are rated **PG13/T** and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

_This chapter is in Auel's POV. _

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**Chapter 3 – Phantom Pain**

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_Being an outcast ain't so bad when there's company……_

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"Aw fuck! I lost again!!"

"Totally PWNED YOU! Take that!"

"Shut up, damn it!"

"Aw, is A-uel being sore loser?"

"Just shut up, both of you!!! Stellar's still sleeping!!!" A domineering voice yelled, and the other two voices quieted down immediately.

Auel and Clotho were sitting in front of the TV screen, challenging each other as they always did whenever they played video games. Sting was playing basketball with Sven; Orga was reading as usual, and Stellar was still sleeping. As the leader, Sting had responsibility to tell them to...shut up.

But, the real reason they remained quiet was because they didn't want to wake up Shani – boy, he was terrifying if you woke him up during his precious naps.

The Phantom Pain gang was having a typical Saturday morning. The TV they had stolen a long time ago was still working; none of them were starving because they all worked at a lumber business somewhere nearby; the couch was horrible, but it still served as some place to sit. Yup, a pretty neat life.

Auel looked behind him when he felt something nudging his back. Gaia, a stray puppy they had adopted, seemed to be asking for something. He rolled his eyes and rubbed the puppy's head, "Your master will be up soon. Just be patient, 'k?"

Gaia yipped and sauntered away. Clotho shook his head in amazement, "Seriously, dude, I don't get how you do that. You can understand what Stellar' s and Gaia's thoughts… are you psychic or something?"

Auel frowned, "No, of course not. It's easy – just look into their eyes, and you'd know. Come on, you guys can communicate with Stellar too."

"Well, yeah, but you're like…I don't know, you're like her voice or something. It's like she's speaking through you."

At this, Auel smirked proudly, "Of course. I'd made a promise to her that I'd be her voice, and so I am."

The door creaked open and Stellar walked out slowly, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

_Geez, why does she always have this adorable, dazed look on her face whenever she wakes up? _Auel grinned at her. The rest of the gang members greeted her as well. Stellar smiled back and gazed at Auel. Nodding in understanding, he called Sting, "Hey, Stellar's thirsty. Got any drinks left?"

The green-haired man shrugged, "Well, unless you want her to drink beer, we have nothing."

Groaning in frustration, Auel took her hand and led her away, "I'll be back in a couple of minutes. We're going to the convenience store."

The rest of the gang understood the bond between Stellar and Auel. None of them knew where Stellar came from, her past, nothing. Nevertheless, they all adored her. Stellar wasn't spoiled; she never wanted anything more than the essentials, such as food and drinks.(Of course, the gang members couldn't resist getting her lots of presents.)

But most importantly, she always had this cheerful smile on her face that made them feel warm and fuzzy.

Therefore, Phantom Pain will do whatever it takes to make her happy.

The two walked along their usual route in comfortable silence. Sometimes, people would comment what a cute couple they were; other times, people would comment their sibling bond was great. As for Auel himself, he had no idea what she was to him - he prefered not to think about anything. For now, this was fine the way it was. She was his protectee, and he was her guardian, period.

As they passed by the hill, Auel couldn't help but scowl in annoyance, recalling the black-haired bastard who..who molested Stellar. If it weren't for her, Auel probably would've pounded that bastard to the ground. Yeah, yeah, it might be accidental but still, Auel hated it whenever something happened to her.

A gentle tug at his sleeve immediately snapped his attention. Stellar was looking at him, concern filling her beautiful eyes. Auel patted her hand reassuringly. _That's right, I shouldn't worry her needlessly._

"Hey, hey! Did you hear, Akatsuki's having another concert soon?" A girl was telling her friend.

Auel grimaced; seriously some girls (guys too! Gosh) just chatted too loud for his liking. However, it seemed that Stellar was interested in the conversation.

"Yes, I know! I've already preserved my ticket! Front row seat, baby! Maybe Lacus can see me..."The guy replied with a dreamy look.

"You do know she's married to Kira-sama, right?"The girl pouted in annoyance.

"Geez, stop adressing him as Kira-sama! It's not like you've stopped fantasizing about him after they got married!"

"Come on, let's go, Stellar," Auel rolled his eyes. People and their celebrities...get real, people!

Glancing at his protectee, Auel then realized Stellar wanted to go to the concert. Thinking back hard, he realized she'd always liked Akatsuki - the way she closed her eyes when she heard the music, or the way she stared at the posters longingly.

Auel smiled secretively; alright, it was time for another present.

"Um, Stellar? I need to do something fast. Could you," he looked around the place warily, "stay here just for a bit? I'll be right back."

Stellar gulped nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between Auel and the convenience store. She'd always hated to be left alone - it seemed that she was scared of being alone. Auel never asked why, but he understood.

Giving her some money, Auel grinned at her reassuringly, "Don't worry. It's just for awhile. Stay in the store if you don't want to stand outside."

Nodding mutely, she quickly went in. After making sure she would be alright, Auel quickly ran towards the stadium.

* * *

"Oh come on!! You still got a few spaces! Why can't you sell them to me?" Auel shouted furiously, slamming his hands down the table. 

The receptionist flinched and stammered, "But, but sir, these are reserved tickets and you can only buy them if you reserve them in advance-"

"I don't give a crap about reservations! What if some people can't afford the internet to order online, huh? This is the only way I can buy tickets!!"

Seeing the receptionist was about to call security, Auel quickly lowered his voice and swallowed his pride.

"Look," he whispered pleadingly, "My friend really wants to go to this concert - she's been waiting for this for ages..."

"Rules are rules sir," the receptionist shook his head, " if your friend really wants the tickets, why doesn't she come here and talk to me herself?"

"Why you-" Auel snarled. How dare he insult Stellar?

"Whoa, what's going on here?"

Auel turned and stared at a fashionably dressed woman with magenta-hair and a blond-haired man following behind. They looked familiar..

_Lunamaria Hawke and Rey za Burrel! They're from the Akatsuki!_

The receptionist blushed and tried to explain the situation, while Luna listened suspiciously.

"It's quite alright, he's our friend, right, Rey?" Luna winked at the silent blonde, who nodded promptly.

Pulling a confused Auel to the side, Luna whispered, "Shh, pretend you're our friend or something. You can get into the concert - just tell the guards you're a friend of ours. What's your name?"

"A-Auel."

"Alright. Consider it done."

"Why are you helping me?" Auel asked, wary. There was no such thing in this world.

Luna smiled lightly, "I saw you outside. You're trying to get the ticket for the blonde girl, aren't you?"

Auel blushed. Luna laughed, "Aw, it's alright. I just think it's cute. We have three spare seats in the VIP anyways."

Waving the two celebrities goodbye, Auel stared after them numbly. Man, he was super LUCKY!! He just talked to Lunamaria!! Snickering, Auel couldn't wait to see Clotho's reaction (Clotho was a big fan).

Auel quickly paid the scowling receptionist the money and stuffed the tickets in his pockets. He smirked at the guy in triumph.

Running towards the convenience store, Auel's eyes went wide at what he saw.

_Dammit, it's that guy again!!! _Marching towards them, Auel was about to yell when he saw Stellar's unique smile.

The black-haired guy was saying something and it was making Stellar happy. _What was it?_ Auel decided to eavesdrop.

"So I uh, somehow got invited to Akatsuki's next concert. Athrun, you know, the guitarist? We met at the car shop this morning and he invited me to come... of course, I think he was more inviting Cagalli to go than me but, anyways," the raven-haired dude scratched his head nervously, "I have one spare VIP ticket, w-would you like to go with me?"

Stellar made some weird signs with her hands, and the man seemed to understand her. He laughed, "Oh yea, I understand sign languages. My sister Mayu's mute," his red eyes darkened in sadness, "yea, my lil'sis."

Stellar communicated with sign language in sympathy. He smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks, but I'm fine. Oh, she's fine. She's living with my relatives."

The two went on 'talking'; he laughed and she giggled silently - they seemed to be having such a good time.

_Dammit, he can understand...no, converse with Stellar!! Damn you..._ Auel was more saddened by that than angry. _At least I don't need sign language to understand Stellar._ He comforted himself.

"Hmm? So you need some guy's permission? I see, the same guy who punched me, right? Auel, if I recall correctly. He seemed very protective of you," the black-haired man grinned sourly. Auel smirked in satisfaction upon seeing a huge bruise on his jaw._ At least I left some marks on him._

Deciding it was enough, Auel walked towards them, "Hey you, what's your name?"

"Shinn Asuka," Shinn was startled, and he folded his arms warily, "Listen, I don't mean any harm to-"

"Yea yea, I got that," Auel took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but Stellar looked so happy-

"You can go with Stellar, but don't relax yet; I'll be going as well."

"But I only have two tickets-" Shinn began, but Auel cut him off, "I'll figure out a way." _Hmm, so much my tickets. I guess maybe Clotho can come._

Abruptly, Auel took Stellar's hand and led her home. Shinn shouted, "Hey, how am I gonna-"

Once again, Auel cut him off, "Now that I know your name, I can easily find out where you work. We'll come when it's time."

On their way home, Auel was silent, feeling utterly miserable. Stellar was extremely worried.

"No, I'm fine, Stellar," he said forcefully, "So don't look so guilty, alright? You can go to the concert with him." He patted her head, and she managed a small smile.

_Yea, as long as she's happy, _Auel told himself firmly, but he knew this was not the case.

For the first time in his life, he understood how jealousy can effectively ruin someone's mood for the rest of the day.

* * *

People quickly scootted out of the way, wincing at the resounding clank. 

Auel kicked an empty beer bottle angrily, smirking in satisfaction when the glass shattered against the alley wall.

Oh no, he wasn't drunk yet; he was just mad. Why? He had been trying to figure that out for a few days already. He almost ripped apart the tickets in rage, but his rational part of mind stopped him. He did work hard for the money after all.

He didn't understand - the thought of Stellar being, well, 'stolen' by another man bothered him, A LOT. But why? She was just making friends with that Shinn. Auel didn't mind when Stellar played video games with Clotho, or play basketball with Sven and Sting, etc.

Groaning in irritation, Auel threw another empty bottle of beer against the wall.

He glared at anyone who dared to glance at him. He swaggered down the street, not really sure what to do. After that Shinn asked Stellar out, Auel had been shut into a daily routine: wake up, work, drink beer, play video games, go out for walk while drinking beer, get home and reassure Stellar, and sleep.

The rest of the gang asked nothing. Sting was a bit concerned, but he figured he was just in a mood; Orga occasionally asked Auel to shut up and let him read; Shani didn't hear anything since he wore ear mufflers when he napped; Clotho played video games as usual; and Sven was...as anti-social as ever. Yup, that's Phantom Pain.

_Ugh, what the hell am I doing? Stellar must be woried sick about me. _

Just as he was about to go home, he remembered that he ordered something for Stellar She loved everythign related to art and music, so Auel had bought some canvas and painting materials. Supposably, his orders should've arrived by now.

As he walked towards the Athha Art Studio, he discovered the place was closed.

_Damn, what's wrong with them? All the other stores are still open!_

Glancing at the surrounding stores, Auel was rather curious why only the studio was out of lights. Shaking his head, he was about to leave when he heard someone yelping in surprise.

_It's coming from the inside. _He winced at a series of things breaking and several loud thumps. _Okay, something's happening in there, maybe I should check it out._

Cautiously, he pushed the door open, surprised that it was unlocked. It was pitch-black inside. After maneuvering his way around for several minutes, Auel heard someone speaking.

"Oh no, please don't tell me I broke her favorite vase...please please please," a soft voice murmured, "Cagalli-san's going to kill me..."

The person seemed to notice him and backed away fearfully. Then, suddenly, the person lunged at him,

It took him by surprise and he was tackled down, even though he wasn't hit directly (the person couldn't see him and neither could he). He hit the carpet hard, making him curse at his bad luck.

Furiously, he flipped the person over, ready to fight back -

_What? A girl? Wait, I don't hit girls!! _The girl used his momentary hesitation and pushed him off weakly.

The girl seemed to have picked up something and tried to hit him with it.

"Whoa whoa, crazy girl, I'm not a suspiscious person at all!!"

The girl asked warily, "So what are you doing here? N-no matter, if you try to do anything with the studio, I-I'll ... well, I won't let you!" It was obvious the girl was scared (who wouldn't? Talking to a complete stranger in darkness), but Auel was slightly impressed by her courage to stand up to him.

Auel sighed wearily, not in the mood to be all 'gangster',"look, I'm only here to pick up some items I ordered before. Why don't we fix the light first?"

"How do we find the light, then?" The girl was still suspicious, but at least she wasn't hitting him anymore. "Um, where are you?"

"Where are _you?_" Auel said dryly. They couldn't even see each other, let alone finding the lights!

"Alright, can you remember which way you came in? Then you can get out of the studio and maybe some help-"

She tripped over something and fell into him.

"Oof!"

The momentum carried them backwards and he stumbled, unable to regain his footing in pure darkness.

His head something hard.

_Ugh, that's not what I ordered..._ he thought blearily.

Then he blacked out.

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End of Chapter 3

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**A/N:** Man, Auel is fun to write. His unconditional love for Stellar is starting to form into something more...

Luna was in a good mood, so she helped out Auel a bit. And it should be pretty obvious who the girl was?

Okay, now that the three main characters got their own chapters, it's going to get mixed up - the plot's gonna grow now (smirk smirk)

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Please review and thanks for reading it! ;)

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Athyra


	5. Chapter 4 Undeniable Feelings

**_SUMMARY:_ **Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

**_MAIN PAIRINGs:_ **Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **Text and all related materials are rated **PG13/T** and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

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**Chapter 4 – Undeniable Feelings**

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_You can deny it; you may be blind to it. But no matter what, the feeling is there…_

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Auel flinched as a bright ray of sunlight hit his face directly. Groaning, he slowly got up, rubbing his sore head. He looked around the room, feeling completely disorientated.

Broken pottery and vases were everywhere. This seemed to be a storage room of some sort.

_Where the hell am I? Oh yea, I came to the Studio and met this crazy girl..._

Speaking of the girl, Auel noticed a figure huddling in a corner. The girl had long red hair and was rather cute-looking. She seemed to be fast-asleep...

... with a baseball bat gripped tightly in her small hands.

_Ouch, is that what she hit me with before? Hey wait a minute, if I fainted or something, why is she still here?_

Turning around, Auel slowly understood the situation. Apparently, he had hit his head on the storage room's door, thus locking them in. What kind of door was this, that the lock is on the other side of the door? As far as he knew, doors opened both ways.

_Uh-huh, I bet she's going to be mad at me, for trapping her in the room. _Auel sweatdropped. Carefully, he tip-toed over to her. He decided it was better to take the bat away from her, just in case.

_What the-_, Auel was shocked that he couldn't wrench the bat out of her grip. _I guess it's her only self-protection against, um, me..._

Pulling with a little more force, he accidentally woke her up. Seeing a complete stranger's face so close to hers was enough to make her scream in surprise.

The scream left her throat halfway when he quickly clamped her mouth shut with his only free hand.

"Shhh, I'm not anyone-" _Suspicious? What the hell am I doing? Like hell she's gonna believe me._

"Um, you see, I am-" _I am what? Hi, name's Auel, the guy who accidentally locked you in this hellhole for the whole night and is currently holding your mouth shut just so you wouldn't scream for help. See, a totally harmless guy. _Auel wanted to beat himself for making light of the situation at such crucial time.

He can't afford to get into trouble with the police. All these years, he and the gang had been really carefully covering their tracks, so the police or the government didn't really know they existed. The worst that could happen would be: their warehouse evicted, Stellar taken away from him, and...yea, Stellar taken away from him.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the girl glaring at him indignantly. And then she did something unexpected.

She bit him. Hard.

Yelping in pain and surprise, he pulled backwards with all his might, trying to escape the biting maniac .

But he forgot he was still grabbing the bat with his other hand and thus accidentally pulling her on top of him.

And it was at that exact moment the door opened.

_Oh shit._

* * *

_"Hey, what's the name of that song?"_

_Athrun blinked mutely, surprised that the girl would be curious. Usually, she just sat there and listened. After three songs or so, she would get up and demand to play some games._

_"Nevermind, it's better kept secret, I suppose," the blond girl grinned; she seemed to understand Athrun's inability to reply. For now._

_He smiled gratefully, and the girl blushed, looking away quickly. She pouted cutely, "A-anyways, j-just keep playing that song alright?"_

_Nodding obediently, Athrun replayed the song again and again. The truth was, the song had no title. It was somehow composed one day, after he joined the school band. Of course the song was still incomplete, but the girl didn't complain when he played the chorus over and over again._

_The girl closed her eyes blissfully. Athrun inwardly wished he had an extra hand so he could hold her hand in his while playing the guitar at the same time._

_Suddenly, the girl's image distorted and changed into-_

_"Cagalli?" Athrun gasped, and then looked at himself, discovering he was his grown-up self._

_"Your concert was amazing," Cagalli whispered shyly and she leaned closer._

_Athrun closed his eyes and leaned forward as well, he could almost feel her lips..._

"ATHRUN!!!! ATHRUN, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!!!!"

The said man cracked open one eye drowsily, his mind was still in dreamland with Cagalli...

Cagalli?!

He sat up abruptly, shocked at the sudden realization. He was having dreams about Cagalli, when he'd just met her once?!

_No, not once, she must be that girl back then...why else would she change into Cagalli in my dream?_

Athrun tried to convince himself that his dream was the most logical evidence and that his mind must OBEY what his dream told him. But Athrun Zala was a sensible, 'nice-guy' man, and his nature would not allow himself to fantasize about a woman he hardly knew.

Or would he?

He had completely blocked out the screaming banshee during his very important musing. The door shot open and a very, very angry Lunamaria bursted in.

"ATHRUN!!!"

"Hmm? Good morning, Luna," his mind was still on Cagalli.

"Good morning?! GOOD MORNING?! It's so NOT good morning!! Meyrin's not home! SHE'S NOT HOME!! What could've happened to her?!"

"Eh?" That totally snapped Athrun's attention back into reality. Punctual Meyrin... not home?

"Calm down, Lunamaria, or you're going to wake the other remaining residents," Rey said evenly, walking into the room with his eyes still closed. He looked extremely bemused at having his sleep interrupted.

His blue eyes snapped open instantly when Luna shook him furiously.

"Calm down, CALM DOWN?! Don't tell me to calm down, mister!! You know Meyrin; she always, _always_ calls if something's came up. What if something really happened to her? Maybe some weirdo had kidnapped her or something, or worse!!"

Rey sighed tiredly, rubbing her back in attempts to diminish her hysterics. Normally she would've blushed, but she seemed beyond worried at that point: she was freaking out. It was understandable, since something similar had happened in the past long ago; Athrun didn't really know what had happened, but he guessed it must be something really bad for Luna to be this overprotective.

"Athrun, we'll meet you at the elevator in 10 minutes. Let's go check the Art Studio. Maybe Meyrin fell asleep there."

"Alright," Athrun wasn't too excited about being up so early on a holiday but Luna's fear was starting to get through him. He stood up, dazed, not bothering to make his bed.

Rey coughed awkwardly and steered Luna towards the door, "Er, cover yourself up. It's embarrassing."

Athrun looked down and realized he wasn't wearing anything at all.

* * *

Sting frowned, and Stellar hid her face behind her hands. 

"So, this is what you've been doing. And Stellar and I were rather worried about you...tsk," his eagle-ish eyes twitched in disgust.

Auel, completely frozen, couldn't reply. The red-haired girl struggled to get up and a slap to the face was to be expected.

That brought him out of his shock.

"Hey! What did you do that for?!" He stood up angrily, only to find a baseball bat pointed straight at him like a gun.

"S-stay away!! W-who are you people?" Her voice trembled with obvious distress, and her eyes held an unusual amount of fear. But her slap stung too much for him to care about that.

"You know, I think this is completely your fault, Auel," Sting spoke unhelpfully, and Stellar was still covering her eyes.

The said culprit sighed deeply, and stared at the girl, who flinched. "Alright, alright. Look, I'm _sorry_ about scaring you and all that other stuff, but I will not apologize for making you stay here all night. It's not my fault for knocking myself unconscious on the door, you know."

The girl lowered the bat slightly, still wary. "Why are you here in the first place, then? I mean, it's too convenient that you happened to be here when there was a blackout..."

Auel shrugged, ignoring her accusing tones, "Dunno. I'm not God and I don't really know about coincidences. Oh yea, that reminds, me," he quickly dug out the order form from his pocket, seeing the girl was ready to explode from his casual response, "You see, I was supposed to pick up something..."

Her pale purple eyes blinked slowly, and glanced back and forth between the order form and Auel's unblinking eyes.

Just as Auel was about to cry from lack of blinking, the girl snatched the form from his hand and read it over thoroughly.

"Oh, er, I see," the girl seemed embarrassed, "Alright then. Why don't we start over. I'm Meyrin Hawke, one of the teachers here in this Studio."

"Name's Auel," he grinned, relieved that he had cleared his name.

Now that the fear had disappeared from her, he was able to 'check her out'. _Wow, she's pretty cute. I wonder why she's so scared of me? Did I really look like a badass?_

"We'll wait for you outside, then," Sting said and led Stellar away. Auel sighed. _I hope I didn't traumatize Stellar... I've been so careful about keeping her away from inappropriate stuff too...sigh..._

_"_U-um, Auel-san? Here," Meyrin handed him a bag of the present he had ordered for Stellar.

"Thanks," he smiled happily. He could already see Stellar's expression. "Well, see you around I suppose, Meyrin-chan."

The girl nodded silently. Just as he was about to leave the studio, he heard her indignified yell.

"'-_chan_'?! I'm not little, I'm already 22!! And come back here!! Help me clean this mess up! You broke some of the stuff too!"

Immediately, he ran down the street in case Meyrin decided to chase him. Auel chuckled inwardly. _What a crazy girl_. The image of her looking embarrassed flashed in his mind and he smirked. _Yup, she's cute alright, when she's not in crazy mode that is._

Sting and Stellar were waiting for him, as expected. She blinked at him endearingly, and he couldn't help but smile back.

_Of course, you'll always be the cutest, Stellar._

* * *

"Can't you drive faster? You should've let me drive!!" Luna was very close to snapping her last vein of sanity. Rey glanced at her exasperatedly, knowing it was futile unless she let it out of her system. 

"We need to get there _alive_, Lunamaria," Rey said dryly, earning a venomous glare from the girl.

"Hey, I'm worried too but we can't go over the speed limit," Athrun muttered, wincing at several loud honks as he zigzagged between the lanes. He could see it already: _Athrun Zala, leader of the famous band Akatsuki, had his reign of fame ended suddenly due to mauling over several citizens and dragging them for thirteen blocks..._or something like that. He sighed inwardly; Kira's more capable of finding the humor in certain circumstances. He, Athrun Zala, was too 'dull', according to Kira.

The three finally arrived at the studio(safely), and were instantly on alert when they saw the door was open.

"Mey? Are you here?" Luna called, frowning as she stepped over pieces of broken pottery.

"Onee-chan?"

Following her voice, the three arrived at the storage room and Athrun's heart skipped a beat.

"C-cagalli!"

"Oh, hello Athrun, Luna, Rey," the blonde nodded her head in greeting, but she seemed rather dispirited.

"What's wrong?" He walked towards her automatically. Meyrin explained everything guiltily, and Luna flicked her sister's head reprimandingly. "Don't scare us like that again...that's why I told you to bring your cell with you, always!!"

"Well, at least you're alright,"Athrun patted Meyrin's shoulder. The younger girl bowed to her boss apologetically, "I'm really sorry about breaking your vase, Cagalli-san."

She smiled weakly, "It's alright. I don't blame you. It was an accident."

_Arrgh. Must. Hug. Her. _Athrun used all his energy to stop himself from doing something inappropriate. All his feelings for the blond girl back then were transforming into Cagalli so quickly that it was rather frightening. He watched her silently as she picked up pieces of the broken vase, staring at them sadly.

"It must meant a lot to you," Athrun said quietly. Cagalli sighed. "My father said...it was my mother's most cherished possession. I put it here in the Studio because...well, it's like a protection charm. Ha, you must think it's stupid," she looked away in embarrassment.

"No of course not. I understand what you mean," Athrun smiled sincerely; he was thinking about the black-framed photo of his mother, currently sitting on his desk.

Cagalli blushed and looked away again. Athrun was reminded of the girl back then.

_Nah, it couldn't be, _he tried to dismiss such thought, but the dream from the morning was still vivid in his mind. He glanced at her lips and quickly averted his gaze, slapping himself mentally.

_Okay, you're going nuts, Athrun Zala._

"Um you know, my offer for the party is still on."

Cagalli refused politedly, "Really, I'd love to be there. But I need to go to dinner with-"

"Your fiance?" Athrun interrupted, and an odd churning anger burned in the pits of his stomach. Yes, he wouldn't deny it. He was jealous. Very. He was jealous of someone he'd never seen before! "You seem to dislike your fiance, Cagalli, so why-?"

"Why do I still go?" It was Cagalli's turn to interrupt. She rubbed her temple wearily, "Countless people have asked me that, Athrun...but it's complicated."

"Oh."

For the rest of the morning, they cleaned up the Studio in silence, compared to the noisy lot (not counting Rey of course) in the storage room. Athrun had never felt so uncomfortable.

_Er, should I strike up a conversation? Man, I really suck at this!!_

During his internal conflict, his hand had strayed too close to hers. They both jolted in surprise at the electric spark upon contact. Blushing madly, they increased their distance between each other.

_I want to touch her hand again. _A sneaky voice spoke at the back of his mind.

Cagalli blinked in amusement when Athrun banged his head against the wall for no apparent reason.

* * *

"Why are you so restless, Athrun?" 

Indeed, the blue-haired man kept looking at the doorway every few seconds, willing a certain someone to materialize. He paid absolutely no attention to the party at all.

_Well, she did say she's going to have lunch with her fiance..._

"Ah, I think I know who you're waiting for."

_But still, couldn't she at least come, being Meyrin's friend? Heck, I even invited Shinn here so she'd feel more comfortable around familiar faces..._

"ATHRUN!!"

Athrun glanced at Kira irritably, "What do you want? If you're just gonna stand there and annoy me, I will not be responsible for the physcial pain that will follow."

His friend only rolled his eyes, "Chill out! I was only going to inform you that Cagalli's arrived-"

Without waiting for Kira to finish, Athrun immediately shot off, looking for her. His heart rate sped up considerably as he spotted her. _She looks hot... _he thought dreamily. His little daydream was cut instantly when he saw who she was talking to. She seemed to be complaining about something to Shinn, who gazed at her impassively.

"If I were you, I'd punch the bastard and get the hell out of there ASAP. He insulted your father, he totally deserved to get slapped or something," Shinn drawled, taking a sip from beer bottle.

"Weren't you listening at all?" Cagalli stamped her foot, "You know I can't just ... _hurt_ Yunna, as much as I wanted to."

"Not even a little?"

"No-o!" She paused, and then she smiled triumphantly, "Although I poured a glass of _very_ expensive wine all over his _precious_ hair and suit. It was very satisfying, seeing his dumbstruck expression."

"What happened next?" Shinn emptied the beer can in one gulp, and burped rather loudly.

Cagalli scowled in disgust. "Ugh, Shinn, manners," she sighed when Shinn merely grinned, "Well, after that, I left, obviously, and here I am."

_I didn't know they're such good friends...I thought they hate each other? _Athrun, though happy to see her here, was rather jealous at seeing her conversing with Shinn. His initial courage vanished and was left with rebellious stubborness. Grumbling in disappointment, he stormed off in search of strong alchohol. Maybe it would help him get up his courage again.

"Vodka?!" Athrun muttered in surprise, staring at the tiny bottle in his hand. Then again, Kira organized this party after all.

One tentative sip.

A huge gulp. And more.

He wasn't really sure how much time passed; he wasn't really sure who he was talking to most of the time. Staff, special guests, or his friends- he had no idea. But it was because he was distracted; he wasn't _that_ drunk yet.

Consuming alchohol did nothing to sate his jealousy; his stomach burned furiously when he saw Kira talking to Cagalli.

Correction: Kira was flirting with Cagalli!!!

_"Wow, you look great" and "You have a beautiful smile" definitely qualified as flirting!! He was married, for God's sake!_ All that past friendship with Kira, of how loyal his friend was nowhere in Athrun's mind.

"I don't think you should drink any more of those," Lacus said worriedly. She was drinking a fruit punch.

Athrun slammed his drink down on the table and pointed at Kira with trembling hands. "T-they're flirting!! Aren't you going to do something, Lacus?"

The songstress blinked quizzically and watched as Cagalli messed Kira's hair, laughing.

"Why, they act like siblings, don't you think so? That's nice," Lacus smiled, unconcerned. Athrun gaped at her. "Besides, Kira is definitely not flirting. It's not how he flirts. He's acting perfectly normal...well, he seems a tad tipsy," she added, amused.

Athrun was completely stumped. Lacus wasn't jealous? Did she trust Kira that much, or he was making too big a deal out of this? Cagalli actually came to the party but he didn't really have any chance to talk to her alone (he didn't have the courage to interrupt her conversations). It was such a wasted opportunity. Incoherent thoughts filled his head, and he was unable to concentrate on his objective. Lacus grinned slyly, glancing back and forth between him and Cagalli.

It was only then he realized most people had already left; only the band members, Meyrin, Shinn and Cagalli remained.

"Aw, it's 12:30 already?" Kira pouted childishly. His very red face and the way he walked clearly indicated how drunk he was. "Oh well, let's play a game then...nobody wants to go to bed early!!"

"Hear hear!" Luna cheered dramatically, and Meyrin wrenched a beer bottle out of her sister's hand. Rey was eating his tenth putin.

"Let's play spin the bottle! We haven't played that since ... ," Kira looked confused, then he shrugged. Athrun's inner gears ran very fast: he didn't like the idea of playing such a 'dangerous' game, but on the other hand he might be able to kiss Cagalli!

All thoughts to talk to Cagalli disappeared somewhere and all Athrun could think about was kiss the blond senseless.

"I'll go first!!" Kira yelled excitedly as they all sat down in a circle. Athrun purposely sat down opposite of Cagalli; he figured it'd have a higher chance-

His heart froze when the bottle pointed at Cagalli. Kira scratched his head nervously, "Heh, sorry about that. Um, welcome to the gang I suppose."

She smiled just as nervously and glanced at Lacus, her eyes full of guilt. Shinn snickered and urged her on.

Athrun closed his eyes. _Okay, it's just a simple kiss. One second. It's nothing. _He told himself firmly.

Cagalli then spun the bottle and, what the hell, got Kira! Athrun crushed a beer can without anyone noticing. Cagalli pinched Shinn irritably when the latter was laughing too loud at her predicament.

By now Kira was simpering uncontrollably, then he got Lacus. He winked at his wife and then pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. They kissed for so long that Athrun and Luna threw empty cups at them out of sheer annoyance.

"Get a room, geez," Shinn muttered, rolling his eyes.

Kira laughed and Lacus blushed prettily. Then to his surprise, Lacus got Athrun.

The blunette felt strangley triumphant at Kira's glare. _This is revenge for kissing Cagalli! _He kissed the songstress quickly, and spun the bottle with all the energy he could muster, desperatedly wishing that it landed on...

Meyrin flushed beet red when the bottle pointed at her. Athrun shrugged, trying ignore the unnatural feeling (Meyrin is like his sister!) and kissed her just as quickly. He grinned inwardly when Cagalli frowned with something akin to disappointment and jealousy in her eyes. Or did he imagine it? He must have.

Then Meyrin got Luna, who kissed her sister's forehead since, well, they were siblings and it would be _wrong_.

Luna glanced at Rey shyly and to her disappointment, the bottle landed on Shinn. However, the said man was curled up on the floor, fast asleep already. She sighed in relief, staring dazedly at the bottle. She seemed about to pass out herself.

Athrun took the chance, "Let me have another go."

If he could go back in time, he would wish he didn't do that.

He had to kiss Kira.

Kira, his best friend, and most importantly, a _**guy**_.

"NOOOOOO!!" He tried to back away in horror but Luna and (surprisingly) Rey held him in place.

"It's the rules," Rey said calmly, completely bemused at the fact that all the putin was gone.

Kira's red face was pale with shock. He whimpered pleadingly at his wife, who smiled uneasily. Cagalli's lips twitched, unsure whether she should laugh or grimace in disgust.

Ignoring Kira and Athrun's screams of anguish, the two executioners (Luna and Rey) did their job...

* * *

It was almost two in the morning, and Athrun Zala was still wide awake. 

Normally he would've passed out from the liquor or sheer exhaustion, but the very, _very _disturbing ... 'lip contact' (_I refuse to call it a k-i-s-s, ever!_ Athrun thought fursiouly) with Kira (_who passed out, that little bastard_, Athrun snarled indignantly).

Therefore, he pretty much sobered up and he refused to sleep in fear of terrible nightmares. He leaned against the wall dejectedly, trying to block out Kira's snores. Everyone fell asleep in the big conference room, where the party was held. Meyrin and Lacus, the only sober ones, retired to their respectively rooms. As for Rey...

To get back at him and Lunamaria, Athrun spiked his drink and now the bassist was now sprawled on the floor, his arms around her.

_I can't wait to see their expressions when they wake up tomorrow, _Athrun smirked savagely. Ah, sweet revenge.

He walked towards the recording room when he felt a sudden urge of playing his guitar. The room was supposed to be soundproof, so nobody would wake up, he figured.

All his troubled thoughts melted into music just as he expected. _This is my world, nothing can trouble me. Not my past, not my father, not even my complicated emotions..._

When he finished the song, he was surprised to hear hands clapping behind him.

"You really are good," Cagalli commented softly. She just returned from the washroom and she seemed to be quite sober.

"Thanks," he felt heat crept onto his face and his lips felt dry suddenly.

"Cagalli-"

"Athrun-"

Coincidentally, they spoke at the exact same time. He chuckled, "Ladies first."

She smiled lightly, "Well, I was just wondering... have you...I mean, have you ever gone to Eterna City?"

Athrun blinked. Eterna City, his home town. The place where he and the girl first met. _Does that mean she's-?_

As fate would have it, her phone rang and she quickly excused herself.

Athrun nodded wordlessly, thoroughly disappointed. Yes, they were alone now, but he didn't really want to ask her anymore. That's the way it is: if Athrun failed at something, he would sulk first, try to recover, sulk again, then probably try again. His courage was rather subdued by the phone call, presumably from her fiance.

_"You have a nice voice. Maybe you should sing."_ The girl's voice reminded him gently at the back of his mind. Should he be more persistent, pluck up more courage?

_She's engaged, Athrun. Engaged. Leave her alone. Nothing good would come out of this and you know it. Whatever you feel for her is merely an attraction. Yes, that's what is is, an attraction. She's pretty, charming, and looked like the girl of your dreams. Who wouldn't be attracted to her? The crush will pass. _He told himself with final conviction.

He left the music room, determined to say goodbye to her without feeling all tingling inside. Cagalli hissed something into the cellphone and cut it off angrily. She turned around and was surprised to see him standing there.

"I'm sorry," Cagalli said suddenly.

"Huh?" All that determination melted away. Athrun slapped himself inwardly. He was feeling all tingly at the sound of her voice.

"Well, I mean you invited me to this party, yet I didn't even come to say 'hello' to you, it was rather rude of me. And then the game..." she blushed in embarrassment, "You must be mad at me..."

"It's q-quite alright. I'm not mad at you," he stammered, feelng incredibly conscious of himself, "it's just that...um..."

"What?" She looked up, and he froze as his eyes gazed into hers. Their faces were so close...

Amber eyes, blond hair, cute and inquinsitive expression, and her lips...

Words flew out his mouth before he could stop them. "I never got to kiss you."

He didn't even give her a chance to look surprised; his lips were already on hers, tasting and savoring such moment.

After awhile, he pulled back rather breathless. His male ego inflated to find her in the same state, with a cute blush adorning her cheeks. Unnerved by her open stare, Athrun quickly muttered an apology.

"Oh shut up," she whispered hoarsely before her lips crashed onto his. Athrun could no longer think. Every single fibre of his mind was concentrated on how to make her breathless again.

Screw her fiance. Screw his rational thoughts. He really liked her and this was all that mattered.

Making out in the empty hallway with several loud snores as background music, Athrun concluded, was astonishingly enjoyable.

-

End of Chapter 4

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**A/N: **Blimey, it's August already? Ah, I apologize for the very late update, but you know how it is, summer vacation. Well, this chapter is longer than the other ones, hope you've enjoyed it :) Hopefully I can get the next chapter up before school starts...

Please Review!

-

Athyra


	6. Chapter 5 The Concert

_**SUMMARY:**_Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

_**MAIN PAIRINGs:**_Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**__this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

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**Chapter 5 The Concert**

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_There's always something lurking around the corner, ready to disrupt your life when you least expect it…_

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Athrun Zala refused to wake up.

Yes, such was an unsual action from a man known as 'early bird' by his friends. Then again, he'd slept in yesterday, so what? Can't a man change?

The main reason was the dream he was enjoying. A lot. He dreamed that he was kissing Cagalli in the hallway, while several people snored in the background...

Wait.

_That's not a dream, I think. It did happen._

Forcefully, he opened his eyes and glanced at the window sleepily. It was still dark, with a few signs that the sun will rise soon.

_Okay, Cagalli and I kissed_, Athrun indulged himself in recalling the memory, _and what happened after that? My mind is full of distorted images... yes, vodka, there was a lot of it. And the Spin-the-Bottle Game and that...**incident** with Kira. Then after everyone's passed out, Cagalli and I kissed. Then, what?_

He found his answer when something...no, _someone_ stirred besides him. On his bed.

His eyes bulged in shock when two equally shocked amber eyes found his.

"AAaaghhhhh!!!"

With a startled cry, Cagalli yanked the blankets hard in attempts to cover herself while Athrun fell off the bed in an undignified heap. His eyes searched the surroundings frantically, for something, _anything_, to cover up his...body...?

He was still fully dressed.

Looking up, he found Cagalli's face mirrored his own confusion. She, too was fully dressed. Rumpled blouse, yes, and his shirt was missing quite a few buttons, yes, but that was all.

They stared at each other in silence. Cagalli was scrunching up the blanket nervously, while Athrun sat on the floor, fumbling with his buttonless shirt. Where did the buttons go? What was he supposed to say right now? Especially when he had no clue what was going on?

"We didn't…"Cagalli began, trying to avert her gaze from his, ah, open shirt.

"No we definitely didn't…I-I think we just passed out," Athrun said quickly. Wait, so if they didn't pass out, what would they have done...? Blushigng deeply, he tried to push away rather perverted images of what they _could_ have done. _Athrun Zala, when have you become so naughty_? He asked himself.

"Yeah, we passed out, definitely…"

Another awkward silence reigned the air. Athrun stood up carefully, deciding that he should do something first. "Um, Cagalli...I'm sorry...for whatever that had happened." _I'm NOT sorry for kissing you, though._

"No it's alright, we were both half-drunk and dead tired," it seemed that Cagalli had finally snapped out of her stupor. She left the bed hurriedly.

"Well, uh, I better go," she found her purse somewhere and was about to leave when Athrun stopped her.

"Wait," _deep breath, deep breath, say it normally, _"When can I see you again?"

At this, her eyes widened for a fraction then she quickly composed of herself. "Are you asking me out on a date, oh-mighty-guitarist?" She grinned mischievously at his embarrassed expression.

"Yes, princess," he made a dramatic bow, earning a chuckle from her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at the concert, then."

"You'll come?" Athrun couldn't help the grin that plastered on his face. Gods, he must look like an idiot.

Her eyes flickered but it quickly passed. "Yes, I'll definitely come."

Athrun knew it was rather bold of him, but he couldn't contain his joy. He leaned in and kissed her cheek quickly. To his relief and pride, she blushed. It took everything in his power not to start another make-out session.

He showed her the way out of the building and stood on the balcony, watching her drive a rather...beat-up looking car away.

_Shinn IS right. She needs a new car. _

Athrun hummed to himself, tidying up the room as best as he could. Surprisingly, with that amount of vodka he had consumed last night, he had no hangover. _Love is the best medicine. _His mother had once told him. He didn't believe her then. But his self-inflicted muteness disappeared after meeting the girl, and now he had no hangover because of the make-out session with Cagalli...yes, Athrun decided his mother was right after all.

He sipped a cup of coffee thoughtfully, watching the sun rise up with a strangely content heart. _Dawn...Akatsuki...Cagalli..._ Athrun smiled.

A surprised scream, followed by an uncharacteristic yell from a certain bassist, came from hallway and his smile curved into a triumphant smirk.

_Ah, revenge really **is** sweet._

* * *

Auel Neider was pissed. Beyond pissed. 

The more he thought about the concert, the more he wanted to hurt someone. Like, the dude with black hair and red eyes.

But a promise was a promise...or, rather, it was a promise to Stellar and, no, Auel will not break it, ever.

"Hey you guys, Stellar and I are leaving for the concert," he called out to the gang, smiling inwardly at Stellar's excited expression.

Clotho, momentarily forgotten about his video game, begged to come along. "Come on, we're buddies right? You know how much I love the Akatsuki."

"Oh yea, you're a fan of Lunamaria," Auel smirked, "She's alright, a nice gal. Nice voice even when she's conversing normally."

Three. Two. One.

"WHAT?! YOU'VE TALKED TO HER?!" Ah, there it was.

"That's right," Auel didn't really understand what the big deal was, but pissing off Clotho felt better than making himself angry.

Before Clotho could lunge at Auel, the red-haired teenager was pushed out of the way by...Shani?! For once, Shani wasn't napping; he had unplugged himself from his precious MP3 player and demanded to come along.

"What? B-but, you..." Straining his ears, Auel heard the music blaring loudly from the earphones. A song by Akatsuki!

"Well, what do you know, he's actually a fan too," Orga commented lightly, nose still buried in his novel. What was it? Harry Potter and the Deathly something. Auel shrugged; he had no interests in reading or this Harry Potter, whoever he was.

After a rather long argument, some fist fights between Clotho and Shani, and sharp reprimand from Sting, Auel and Stellar left the warehouse. In the end, Sven had to pry the fighting pair apart and Sting decided NO ONE was going to go along.

Auel's good mood vanished instantly when they arrived at Shinn's flat. The said man was standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers. The nerve!! There he was, standing with that obnoxious grin, offering Stellar the flowers!! And Stellar was...

Laughing?

It was a silent laugh, yes, but still, she looked so happy... and she blushed!! Auel felt his anger deflate. So, flowers, huh. Stellar liked flowers. He'd never thought of that. How the heck did that Shinn know?!

If it weren't for Stellar's hand grasped protectively in his, and her occasional smiles at him, Auel would feel he was the outsider instead.

The two were 'chatting' and Auel, understanding nothing of sign language, decided to remain silent. And sulk.

_Sigh... a wasted ticket... at least Clotho can serve as someone to annoy...and now I'm practically all alone._

As they neared the stadium, Auel was shocked as the amount of people. _Well, seeing Shani is also a fan..._

A brown haired girl and tanned, blond guy came over and teased Shinn quite a bit.

"Aw, going on a date? I knew you have it in ya!" Dearka smirked. Milly smiled kindly at Stellar, and Auel tried to act as if he was a stranger. Blend in with the crowd.

"How about you two? Aren't you dating?" Shinn snapped back, and smirked when Milly denied fervently and dragged Dearka away, muttering something about 'happened to be in the same place' etc.

Having VIP tickets did have its uses; they didn't have to wait in that awfully long line. When they reached the stairs, Auel spotted a familiar redhead...

"Mou, I told you, I forgot my purse in the VIP room!!! Now, let me in!"

"I'm sorry, miss, but you don't have the pass," the security guard said, earning a scowl from Meyrin.

"Oi, just let her in will ya? Here's the ticket," Auel stepped up._ Well, at least I didn't totally waste the ticket._

"What-" Meyrin gasped, "YOU! You're that Auel guy!"

"Wow, you remember me? I'm flattered," Auel smiled roguishly, feeling incredibly proud somewhat.

Meyrin was unfazed. "Well duh. You didn't help me clean up that mess and ran away!! I'll forgive you, though. That dumb guard... he must be new, since he didn't know who I was. I though Onee-chan instructed to let me go in and out as I please...I have to help organize after all."

"Onee-chan?" _Huh, is she, like, part of the music company or something?_

"Yes, I'm Luna's sister."

_Okay, she's related to someone famous. Wow. I can't believe it. Maybe I can ask her to give me her sister's autograph and flaunt it in front of Clotho...or, on second thought, I can just sell it on EBay. Then use the money to buy Stellar flowers. Great plan, Auel!_

"What, you have a weird look in your eyes," Meyrin peered at him suspisciously. He shrugged guiltily.

The VIP box, he decided, was really worth the price. Spacious, conditioned, best spot to look at the stage. People say the front row was the best, but this was so much better. Comfortable seating was the most important thing.

He seated himself on the softest-looking chair and to his surprise, Meyrin sat down besides him.

"What? This particular VIP box was supposed to be empty - it's used for people invited by the band members. Who're you invited by?"

"Eh? Your sister, I suppose... but it didn't really count, I was just buying the tickets," he said truthfully, "It's my first time to the Akatsuki's concert."

"I see. Well, I promise you won't be disappointed!! Athrun's so good with his guitar! Lacus, her voice and violin is amazing!! And I'm proud to say my sister's great with piano and..."

As Auel sat there and listen to Meyrin chatting, he decided it might not be a bad day after all. And, unlike Clotho's incessant jibbering, Auel discovered he didn't mind the redhead's voice at all.

* * *

Shinn Asuka was annoyed. Yes, very, very annoyed. 

That Auel guy seemed to be completely absorbed in listening and talking to that Meyrin girl. He had completely forgotten about their existence after meeting the redhead.

Not that Shinn minded, of course. But Stellar, well, she'd been trying to catch Auel's attention but failed.

This was supposed to be a happy date! Finally, he was crazy about this girl, but she seemed to care about her...guardian more.

"Oh, hey, you're Shinn, from the party," Meyrin rose up and greeted him. Finally, she noticed them. Well, they haven't been talking so it might be hard for her to notice them.

"Yea, I got invited by Athrun. This is Stellar," Shinn glared pointedly at Auel, who smiled at Stellar guiltily. That seemed to have brighten her up.

"Hmm, I guess Cagalli-san's couldn't come after all. I wonder why," Meyrin muttered in disappointment, glancing at the empty seat.

Oh yea, baka Athha. Why's she not here? He'd fixed her car again not too long ago, and the blonde had been... rather...irritably happy for some reason.

His thoughts broke when Stellar grabbed his arm excitedly, pointing at the stage. The lights dimmed and the crowd's excited whisper ceased.

He held her hand, starting to get excited as well. The music started abruptly and the curtains rose at the cue. A loud bang took place and smoke from dry ice floated out from the stage.

The crowd cheered enthusiatically, greeting the band members as their figures became visible from the smoke.

Shinn spotted Athrun first, the guitarist looked incredibly handsome in his trendy jacket. Shinn felt rather self-conscious at his own attire; he was wearing his best shirt but it still looked shabby in comparison to the guitarist. _The difference between a normal man and an idol, I suppose._

He could make out some of the females screaming "Athrun I love you" or something like that from the audience. Tsk. Fans. Obsessed, they were.

Kira, the drummer, and Rey, the bassist, earned quite a few screams from the female audience as well. Lacus and Luna got a lot of catcalls from the male audience (_was Dearka doing it too?_), and Meyrin cheered loudly for her sister and friends.

"There will be a bond with the awakening touch of a finger  
Within the gap of a breaking heart  
The body will wander  
Without a shape, it disappears into the darkness  
All the colorful thoughts will part far away  
What to search for is a mirage

The future is placed far away

In the shining world, we live a million chapters  
The sky we raise our eyes to awaken our dreams  
The scenery we encounter in the never-ending night  
We cannot even see the answer for the passing days

Even if we're this far apart  
We can reach the shining light  
Our miracle will come true ..."

It was a pretty upbeat song, sang by Meyrin's sister. Of course, he couldn't imagine Lacus yelling into the microphone...no, Shinn supposed she sang the more tranquil songs. It was a pretty damn good opening song, and Shinn found himself tapping his finger along with the music (which was a miracle...to get him interested in music!)

Soon he was completely absorbed into the concert, cheering along with Meyrin, Auel (who seemed impressed as well) and Stellar (who cheered silently).

The encore song was sang by Athrun, to Shinn's surprise.

"I won't tell where I feel hurt to anyone  
My hurrying heart hid my dreams

I gaze at you with eyes that seem to crumble

Only my incompletely suppressed strength  
Takes off inseparably

Our encounter begins to move  
Hastening destiny

For your sake, I'll try to unfasten  
My hands that are embracing myself

But there's only an unreachable loneliness

If there are countless wishes  
Then vividly pull them in

The instant, which I've touched too much  
So to fulfill it, won't disappear

Only my incompletely suppressed strength  
Takes off inseparably

Our encounter begins to move  
Hastening destiny

At least tell me about  
The moment when you dash through "

_Wow, he can sing! I can actually...feel his feelings. He does have a nice voice. Well, he's an idol after all. Imagine a mechanice like me with a nice voice... ha! _Shinn noticed Athrun's gaze swept over their VIP box several times, only to look away in disappointment. Was the blunette looking for Cagalli? He must be.

When the music ended, Shinn, like the rest of the crowd, stood up and applauded soundly.

The cheer was so thunderous that he could even feel the floor shake underneath his shoes. But if any band deserved such cheer, it was the Akatsuki. Indeed, they were awesome!

Lacus thanked the audience sweetly and the rest of the members bowed.

There was a loud bang again and the curtain started to close... but something was wrong. The smoke coming from the stage wasn't the dry ice effect... it was real smoke!!

_Oh my god, the stadium is on fire!!_ Shinn thought, panicking. The crowd filed out of the stadium desperatedly, trying to get to safety. He held Stellar's hand tight in his, trying to direct her to safety. There was pratically a stampede out in the hallways. As expected, the panicked crowd soon tore Stellar from his grasp and he lost sight of her immediately.

His red eyes searched the crowd desperatedly, trying to locate Auel's noticeable hair. Maybe Stellar's with him?

"Hey you, where's Stellar?" Auel gripped his collar and dragged him to a deserted hallway, where Meyrin was waiting.

"What? You mean she's not with you?" Shinn felt his blood go cold.

_Stellar, where are you?_

-

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End of Chapter 5

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I don't own _Brightdown_ by Nami Tamaki, or _Hitomi no Tsubasa_ by Access.

**A/N:** Some sort of action happening at last. Then of course, explaining Cagalli's absence.

Oh yes, in this story, the character's hair colors are normal, even though the story is sat in the modern era. I mean, they'd be differnt without their signature hair color, esp Athrun! Those people with extreme hair colors dyed their hair, as Auel had said in the prologue. Lacus, Meyrin and Luna are born with their hair colors, however lol. So, yes, other than Athrun, there are random strangers with bluish hair as well. That's why Cagalli couldn't recognize Athrun, not after so long, ne?

Please Review!

-

Athyra


	7. Chapter 6 Breakaway

_**SUMMARY:**_Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

_**MAIN PAIRINGs:**_Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**__this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

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**Chapter 6 Breakaway**

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_Sometimes pressure can be too stifling and one must break free…_

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"Calm down, Auel. The fire's already put out. Let's go to the resting room and I'll ask our manager to look for your friend," Meyrin said gently, tugging his sleeve.

Auel could only nod; he knew if he opened his mouth, only an unmanly squeak would come out. How could he've lost Stellar? He knew better than to trust that Shinn. But deep down inside, Auel knew it was his own fault; he let jealousy get in the way to the extent that he actually forgot she was _his_ protectee, his responsability.

The three moved towards the band member's room, and was greeted by a worried Luna. Auel pratically blanked out any introductions and conversations, too nervous and flighty.

_She's definitely alright. It's not the first time she got lost or anything. She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. _Auel tried to convince himself without much success, _then again, there are so many bastards who would take advantage of her naive nature, not to mention she can't speak...oh my god what if she's hurt or something and she can't call for help?_

"Onee-chan, where's Mwu-san? I need to talk to him."

Luna shook her head, "Not now, Mey, he's busy with the firemen. They're investigating the source of fire. Are you alright?" She added, seeing the worried look on her sister's face.

Meyrin glanced at Auel, uncertain how to explain the situation. It was Shinn who did it, staring at Athrun almost pleadingly.

The guitarist had a glum expression, but he and the band members agreed to help them to look for Stellar.

Athrun asked Auel and Meyrin to stay in the room, in case Mwu, their manager, comes back. Auel was rather annoyed that Shinn got to go look for _his_ Stellar, but he didn't really feel like arguing with a celebrity.

Silence was something Auel generally felt comfortable with, but with Meyrin... it was rather stifling. Like they were meant to have conversations or something. He wished she could just talk, anything; hearing her voice might take the tension off his shoulders a bit.

"So, um, is Stellar your sister?" Meyrin finally spoke up, twirling her pigtail nervously.

Auel's eye followed her fingers' motions, feeling a strange ache in his heart. _Just what is Stellar to me?_ "Yea, I suppose. We're not related but I guess we're close enough to be siblings," he sighed, "I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be her protector - I promised myself since the day I met her."

"Hey, it's not your fault. I'm sure she's fine," Meyrin patted his shoulder hesitantly.

"Maybe you're right, but I can't help it, you know? I can't stop worrying about her. What if someone's hurt her and I'm not there?" Auel frowned at that thought. He reached for the dagger in his pocket, the only thing that really belonged to Stellar.

"Wow, what an unusal design for a dagger. May I see that?" Meyrin's eyes sparked with an excited glint.

"Er, sure," Auel watched the redhead examine the dagger's hilt, running her fingers about the complicated patterns. Ever since he washed out the old blood, Auel never really look at the dagger as closely as Meyrin was doing.

"The craftsmanship is really good...you know, I think there might be another...er, dagger. Its 'brother' dagger. The marking here indicated that the patterns are to be continued on another hilt, I think. If Cagalli-san's here, I can ask her... she knows more about designs than I do," Meyrin looked away, embarrassed at her statement.

"Another pair, huh," Auel muttered, intrigued. He never really bothered to look up Stellar's past but now, perhaps this dagger might help him discover something.

"Thanks for helping, Meyrin," Auel smiled at her, feeling cheered up somehow. _Don't worry Stellar, I'll find you. Hopefully you're just lost, not kidnapped or something._

What he didn't notice was the slight blush on Meyrin's cheek.

* * *

"No! She's not back here yet, and stop coming here to bother us!!" Clotho snarled menacingly, shoving Shinn out of the warehouse and slammed the door in his face. 

Shinn sighed, trying to suppress the rage boiling in his chest. It had been three days since the concert, and Stellar was still missing. The band members and Mwu couldn't find a trace of the girl. They had watched the surveillance camera and had seen Stellar disappear within the crowds. It was rather strange, the nature of her disappearance.

Thinking maybe she'd go back to her 'home', Shinn had been coming to the warehouse to see if she'd returned, but sadly, no. The gang members, having learned second-handed stories about Shinn from Auel, were far from friendly towards the car mechanic.

Sting, the more reasonable member, spoke up calmly, "Clotho's right, Asuka. If she returned, we'll let you know. So for now, stop coming here. I can't promise that I'll hold back my gang from pummelling you the next time."

Shinn nodded and gritted his teeth in fury. Why can't those stubborn people see that he cared about Stellar's whereabouts too?

His restlessness earned him several sharp reprimands from Yzak when he went back to the car shop. Even Milly and Dearka steered clear of him, knowing he was in no mood to talk. The two hadn't seen Stellar when they left the concert either; it was impossible to spot a cetain girl amidst all that crowd.

"Hey Shinn, your next client's here," a fellow mechanic said. Shinn groaned exasperatedly as an all-too-familiar car was pulled into the garage.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me, Athha. Another breakdown?" He growled loudly. Maybe this was what he needed - another shouting match with the fiery blond.

"No. I just want to make sure it won't break down again anytime soon," Cagalli said quietly, her usual spirit was nowhere to be seen.

Shinn had to blink twice before confirming it was really Cagalli speaking. He was expecting a "Just shut it" and some other more violent reaction.

"Er, why do you need me to check your car? Are you going somewhere far?" He tried to squeeze as much arrogance and disdain in his words as possible, hoping to rile her up.

"Yes." Nope, she seemed too distracted.

_It's none of my business. She's just a customer._ Shinn grumbled to himself.

While he was inspecting her car, he glanced at her every now and then, only to find her staring at the ground dejectedly. Did something happen?

"Okay, seriously, what's going on?" Shinn put down his wrench and crossed his arms.

"I told you it's nothing."

"Liar! Sometimes I've told you about my problems. You've helped me before. Now, let me help! I hate seeing a gloomy Athha!" Shinn growled firmly, his ears burned bright red with embarrassment.

Cagalli smiled half-heartedly, blinking as treacherous tears slid down her cheek.

Shinn sighed, eyes softening, "Is it your father?" It must be.

She nodded curtly, unable to stop her tears flowing. "H-he had another heart attack. And...and n-now he's in a coma. They don't know when he's going to wake up...or if he ever would."

"Oh," Shinn felt all his annoyance deflate. He was bad at comforting people, especially crying women.

"Shinn, if you see Athrun...can you tell him that I'm sorry that I didn't go to his concert even though I promised?"

"I'm sure he'll understand, Athha. Wait, you work with that Meyrin girl. Did you not tell her?"

Cagalli shook her head, "No, I don't want to worry her too much. She's been taking care of the Studio in my stead these past few days without even demanding an explanation. I...I'm just going to take a break, and stay by my father."

"Yea, that would be the best." Shinn finished the last round of inspection and stood up, "Well, um, good luck I guess."

"Thanks. So my car won't break down on my way back home?"

"Yup, I installed the newest engine, actually...oh, it's alright, you don't have to pay me right now," Shinn waved his hand hurriedly, knowing she wouldn't be able to pay him, at least not right away.

"Thanks Shinn. You're a good friend."

"Anytime," he grinned. He _can_ be nice if he wanted to. At least he won't feel so useless at being unable to find Stellar.

* * *

Even after Shinn told him Cagalli's reason for not attending his concert, Athrun was far from relieved. He had this strange impulse to just abandon his work and fly to her. But, of course, such thing was impossible. 

"So kiddos, your next concert is in Eterna City," Mwu announced, glancing at Athrun apologetically.

"Does that mean we have to-" Kira asked, his eyes twitching with obvious reluctance.

"It's fine Kira. We have to face him sooner or later. Besides, we haven't been back home for awhile," Athrun squeezed out a fake smile.

A few months ago, he just went back home to his mother's grave and ..., well, he wasn't that keen to go back again so soon. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Meyrin shuffling uncomfortably. Right, she had to take care of the Studio by herself...

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Meyrin? I mean, you're kind of on your own," Athrun asked worriedly. _Cagalli's not in Onogoro anymore... _

"Mou, stop worrying, Athrun-san. I'll be fine. Good luck on you guys' concert!"

"We'll put up extra security to make sure there's no more attempted arson," Mwu added.

"Hopefully, Stellar-san can be found," Meyrin muttered. Athrun agreed with her inwardly. An attempted arson, and coincidentally a girl just disappeared without a trace. It was too suspicious to ignore. However, he didn't think its related to the band at all, even though those annoying reporters were making a really big deal out of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Eterna City xxxxxxxxxxxx

Athrun couldn't help but smile as he watched the familiar scenery went by. His elementary school, his high school, and...

The park.

_Yes, maybe this trip isn't so bad after all. Now I just need to face him._

Their limo parked in front of a tall building, and Mwu exhaled tiredly.

"Alright, I'm counting on you, Athrun. Us managers should be doing the negotiations and arrangements but he hates me."

"It's alright Mwu-san, he hates almost everyone."

Athrun led his band members into the elevator, after showing some guards their identificatiosn and pre-scheduled appointment slips. The mayor of Eterna City was not a pleasant man; they'll need to speak to him in order to play in the stadium.

When the elevator reached its destination, Athrun hesitated. _Get this over with and you can go to the park. Relax. It's not like he's a total stranger._

They walked towards the room in determined yet nervous strides. The mere atmosphere in the building was giving them the jibbers. Athrun knocked on the door and went in, even when no one replied.

The room was huge, decorated with countless ornaments that spoke of prestige and wealth. The armchair had its back facing them, but Athrun knew the mayor was waiting for him to speak.

"Good afternoon, father," he said evenly. Kira and Lacus glanced at him encouragingly and Luna shuffled uncomfortably. Only Rey stood firm.

"Athrun," came a scratchy yet powerful voice from the armchair. Patrick Zala spun around and his hard eyes glinted with bright disdain at the sight of his son and his band.

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End of Chapter 6

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**A/N:** Wow, I'm incredibly proud at myself for updating before the school starts (even though it's a somewhat short chapter). I'll try to update other stories as soon as possible, but seeing it was my last year in high school (shivers)...

The plot will shift towards Asucaga for awhile.

Please review!

Athyra


	8. Chapter 7 Home Sweet Home

_**SUMMARY:**_Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

_**MAIN PAIRINGs:**_Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**__this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

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**Chapter 7 Home Sweet Home**

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_Home, the beginning of everything…_

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The band members held their breath as father and son stare at each other. The tension was electrifying, ready to explode at any moment. The silence was crushing them from every direction, a countdown to an inevitable dispute.

It took all of Athrun's will not to look away. His father's cold stony eyes bore into him, daring him to give up, but he won't. Two years ago, Athrun had confronted his father in this very same room; two years ago, he had announced that he chose music as his career, that he chose his band over the path his father had chosen for him.

At last, Patrick relented, and leaned back against his chair, folding his fingers nonchalantly. "So, what do you want, Athrun?"

Athrun almost cringed. That was exactly what his father had said -

_"So what do you want, Athrun?"_

_"Father...I'd like to leave the city. I want to form a band - I'm the guitarist, and you know Kira and Lacus-"_

_"A band?! Ridiculous! HA! Playing music for life? That's not what I raised you for! How could three mere people form a band?"_

_"No, father. I've recently met two other people and they're interested in joining. Like I was saying, father, I want to go to Onogoro, where the biggest music industries are-"_

_Once again, Athrun was cut off. "No son of mine is going to...to play **music** for a living!" Patrick spat out the word 'music' like it was something filthy, "Athrun, you will listen to me and continue your studies in the medical field! All that time wasted, all the effort I put to give you a great career path! I've already made arrangements with the finest hospital in Orb-" _

_"No, **you** listen to me, father!!" Athrun had enough. It was the first time he had raised his voice against his father."All these years, I listened to you; I did whatever I could to please you but, you don't really care for my opinion, do you? What I like. What I want to do with my own life. I admit, being a surgeon sounds like an interesting job, but that's not what I want to do. Music is my passion, father, it always has been. It's the only thing that drove me on, since mother's death."_

_Patrick was stunned into silence. Only for a moment. "How dare you speak to me like that! Your passion! Ha! Is music going to feed your stomach? You think you can live an easy life by playing your silly guitar? Fame is short-lived, Athrun. Sooner or later, people will grow tired of your band and then what? How will you survive?"_

_"I know, father. I've thought about all that. But this is something I have to do. I must. This...this is my dream. I must go after my dream. Please understand."_

_"Pff. What I understand it that you are no longer welcome here in Eterna City. Don't come crying to me for financial help. You want to pursue your dream? Fine. Very well. Severe your connections with the Zala family then."_

_"Father..."_

_"You're no son of mine! Now, GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"_

Athrun blinked and cleared the conversation from his mind. He had yet to speak to his father after that. Sure, he'd left messages on his father's answering machines, but they'd never spoken to each other directly since that fight. Athrun returned to Eterna City each year to visit Mother's grave, but that was it. Athrun felt no fondness for his surname, but he kept it since Mother had changed her name to Lenore Zala. Patrick ignored his son's existence altogether since the fight.

What he never understood was his father's disdain for music. Why was Patrick so adamant for his son to become a surgeon?

"You see, my band has scheduled a concert here, and since we're renting the city's stadium-"

"You want my permission. Very well," Patrick cut in, throwing a folder at Athrun, who almost dropped it in surprise.

Kira and Athrun exchanged looks, and opened the folder tentatively. It seemed that Patrick had already signed the forms - it was as if Patrick wanted the meeting as brief as possible.

"Thank you sir, we-" Lacus began, but Patrick chuckled darkly.

"Oh, there's no need to thank me. I just don't want your fans to bother us if I didn't grant you that permission."

_Oh. So that's why. For a moment there I thought you've changed your mind about us_, Athrun thought bitterly.

But Patrick wasn't done; he eyed each of the band members disdainfully.

"So, you're the new ones. The ones who 'helped' Athrun make up his mind about the band business."

"Eh?" Luna flinched at Patrick's glare, and Rey simply glared back.

"I've heard all about how successful your career is, Athrun, this petty band of yours. Famous enough to even have your own brand of clothes eh, Ms Hawke?" She flinched at the sudden mention of her name.

"What are you-?" Athrun felt this inexplicable surge of anger at his father's jibe at his band. Lacus gave the girl a comforting gaze; Lacus herself was the target of Patrick's insults before, when she was engaged to Kira (they'd been engaged since university but were too busy to actually get married, but it was a subject of Patrick's taunts before).

"The 'Lunar brand', I heard. As expected - the world is corrupted nowadays. A pretty face is all you need to make your way through the business world huh. Disgraceful. I'm surprised you're not even ashamed of yourself."

Rey stood in front of Luna, his usually emotionless voice contained barely-veiled anger, "If you'd excuse us, sir, we'd like leave now. We have a busy schedule ahead of us. Good day."

He pulled her out of the room, and Kira and Lacus followed hurriedly, not wanting to spend another minute in the presence of that unreasonable man.

Athrun stared at his father. "I'm disappointed in you, father."

"That's my line, Athrun. You will regret associating with the likes of them." His voice was dangerously soft. The blunette clenched his fists and stormed away, slamming the door hard.

Likes of them._ Likes of them_? The members of his band were irreplaceable, the best friends a guy could ever ask for. How dare he belittle them?

"I'm sorry, Luna, I should've warned you," Athrun caught with them, "I forgot how much he loves doing that."

"I-It's okay," Luna still seemed a little shaky.

"No it's not okay. It is completely rude of him to insult us, especially you, like that," Rey folded his arms indignantly. His bangs were shading his face, giving him a scary expression. Luna gave him a grateful smile.

"Your father hasn't changed at all, has he?" Kira sighed sadly.

Athrun closed his eyes tiredly. Kira's parents and Lacus's parents were very supportive of them. Lacus had voice lessons since she was little, and Mr.Yamato was fond of music himself. Luna and Meyrin's mother were reluctant at first, but their stepfather convinced their mother. Rey's parents were like Patrick - he was supposed to be a famous pianist, but in the end Rey preferred to be in the background, to play base. _Ah, that's how they met_, Athrun recalled. Luna and Rey met in one piano competition.

"Well, kids, I'm gonna take care of all the paper works and concert stuff," Mwu waved his hand lazily and sauntered away.

"Eh? Aren't you going to...," Kira blinked at Mwu's already distant figure, "use the limo?"

"Mwu-san's such a nice man. He's letting us use the limo," Lacus chuckled, squeezing Kira's hand playfully. He hugged her close in response, "Well, I guess that's his way of saying 'take a day off, kiddos'. We _do_ need a break."

Athrun felt something akin to jealousy at his two best friends' closeness. How he wished to have someone as well.

"Listen guys, I'm gonna walk around the neighborhood. I'll meet up with you guys at Kira's house," he decided. _I'm the extra guy too. Let Kira and Lacus have their well-deserved married-couple-moments. And now that Rey actually sticks up for Luna...hehe, I'll leave them alone._

"Yea, sure. My mom can't wait to see you again, Athrun," Kira grinned, "Don't forget your disguise! You don't want people stalking you, do you?" Athrun simply responded by messing Kira's hair.

He wandered around without a definite destination in mind. He walked to the convenience store, remembering the time mother would buy treats for him whenever he did something nice. He walked by his elementary school, remembering the first time he dared to play guitar in front of his classmates. He walked by his high school, remembering how Kira finally asked Lacus to be his girlfriend after endless encouraging on Athrun's part.

He stopped in front of the park, chuckling inwardly as several kids ran around, playing tag. Then he looked over at the bench, where he and the girl met long ago. The bench was empty, and he was about to go over there when something caught his eye.

Someone was sitting on the swing, but the sunlight was directly behind the person. He took off his sunglasses even though the sunlight was too bright. He squinted his eyes, and slowly recognized the figure.

It was Cagalli.

For a moment there, he thought he was taken back in time, when he was just a small mute boy and meeting the charismatic girl for the first time. _She looked absolutely radiant_, he thought, walking towards her instinctively.

_What's she doing here? I heard from Meyrin that Cagalli went back home to visit her family. Does that mean she was born in Eterna City? Maybe...maybe she's the girl from before? Coincidental or not... I'm going to take my chance. I've waited long enough._

Cagalli seemed to deep in thought to notice him. Athrun stopped besides her, and started singing softly, the song he'd played to the girl long ago. Only now, the song was complete. She looked up, startled. "What-? Athrun! What're you-" She trailed off, subconsciously closing her eyes. She listened to him quietly until he finished the song.

She opened her eyes and stood up, smiling, "that was a beautiful song, Athrun. I've always known you have a nice voice."

_Always known? Does that mean..._

"Cagalli," he took a deep breath, "Did you, um, did you meet a mute boy who loved playing the guitar, right here in this park, when you still lived in the city?"

Her eyes widened a fraction, but she nodded, "Yes, and you're that boy, aren't you? I knew it. I should've known the moment I met you, and that song just confirmed my suspicions."

Athrun could hardly contain his joy. She's the girl. Cagalli is that girl. The girl of his dreams. The girl who helped him to be the person he was today. What should he do now? He'd dreamed of this moment since forever, but now it was as if his mind was wiped blank. _No! now's not the time to stop functioning, you stupid brain!_

"I-I've been searching for you. I never knew where you went. After my band first made its debut, I hoped somehow, you'd be able to hear it. And...and you did." He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.

"You've been searching for me?" She seemed surprised, "But I left without a word...we moved out of the city because of my father's job-" She stopped abruptly, her eyes misting in pain.

"Cagalli?" He slowly let go of her when she pushed him away lightly.

"I can't see you anymore." He felt his heart turn into ice.

"Why? Cagalli, I don't believe that you feel nothing for me. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't like me," Athrun gently tilted her chin, staring into her wide amber eyes.

"I..."

He kissed her almost shyly, still afraid that she might reject him. She was stiff at first, but she melted into his embrace as the kiss grew more frantic.

They broke apart at last, gasping for air. Her shoulders sagged as if all energy went out. She leaned her head against his shoulder tiredly. He stroke her back, his voice husky, "Now tell me what's wrong. You can tell me, Cagalli."

"I'm engaged, Athrun. I-I can't abandon my father."

"Huh?"

"My father's in the hospital. He had a heart attack recently, and now he's in a coma," her breath grew so harsh that it was hard to make sense of her speech, "B-But I'm...the treament costs a lot of money and I-I don't have enough money!"

She blurted out, shivering slightly. Athrun blinked. _She doesn't have a lot of money? That make sense. Her blatant refusal at buying a new car because she can't. Wait. Engaged. Does that mean-?_

"Are you going to marry this Yunna because he's rich or something?" He tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

Cagalli sighed, "At first, the hospital director treated my father for free, and I thought 'wow, what a nice man he is'. As time went by, I realized he wanted me to marry his son Yunna. Poor or not, my father used to be an influential man and that was what they want." Athrun felt she was leaving something out but he decided not to ask her. For now.

"So, basically, they're making you choose your father over your happiness?"

"I can't just abandon my father, Athrun! I-I don't know what to do anymore."

He flinched when he realized she was crying. _Great, Athrun you dope, what have you done? She's obviously distressed already, give her a break._

"I'm sorry."

They stood like that for awhile. Athrun eyed the rapidly dimming horizon and glanced at the girl in his arms. Not exactly a happy 'reunion', nevertheless he was still happy. Years ago she helped him. Now, it was his turn.

"Hey, Cagalli, I'm going to meet up with my band members later. Do you want to come?" Yeah, it's better for her to have company.

She nodded, smiling at him gratefully. He grinned back, squeezing her hand as he led her out of the park, towards Kira's house.

They talked about their childhood amonst many other things. Athrun felt so content in her presence, finally understanding what 'a couple' was like. No wonder Kira and Lacus always looked so happy.

The two were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even realized someone was trailing behind them, smirking malevolently.

* * *

Auel woke with a start. 

He had this strangest feeling in his heart. Ever since Meyrin said something about the dagger's 'brother', there had been a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

He took out the said item and examined it closely. The first time he saw it, it was half covered in blood and it was dark that time. His eyes went over the strange patterns and something clicked in his mind.

Knowing his mind will never rest until he unravelled the mystery, Auel got out of bed and and scribbled a note hastily.

"Hope Sting wouldn't scold me too much for leaving unannounced," Auel scratched his head and tip-toed out of the warehouse.

Gaia the puppy was waiting. It growled restlessly, and Auel sighed again. "Fine, I'll take you along."

He checked his pant pockets and twitched. 8 bucks. Damn, he needed money.

_Hopefully Meyrin's in a generous mood. I guess I'll wait in front of the Art Studio. She can help me...I think._

Auel looked at the dagger again. "Oh well, I guess I have no choice but to visit my dad. He sells all sorts of crap, especially weapons, so he's bound to know something."

Gaia growled again. Auel glanced at the puppy and shrugged, "Eh, you're right. Good ol' daddy won't be too happy to see me. But he might figure out where your master is, 'cuz I remember seeing the 'brother' dagger before."

* * *

"Ugh! What the-?" Shinn opened his eyes, startled as he felt a splash of icy water on his face. 

"Wake up, sleeping beauty! Didn't know you love cars this much," Dearka laughed good-naturedly, waving the empty bucket in his hand.

Shinn rubbed his eyes and looked around. Great. He fell asleep in the garage somehow. Sleeping on the cold stone floor. Great, just great.

Yawning and stretching his sore muscles, he got up and walked towards the carshop, where the air was warm. "Mornin' Milly, could I get a couple of coffee?"

"Sure," the cashier replied grumpily, obviously in a pissed-off mood. Shinn inched away carefully and sat down on a chair far away from her.

"Er, did Dearka bother you again?" He asked fearfully. He had no desire to drink a poisonous coffee, which usually resulted from Milly's bad mood. Good mood - Great-tastin' coffee. Bad mood - A trip to the hospital.

"No, he didn't do anything. Yet. It's just...," Shinn could see a vein twitching on her forehead, "I accidentally turned on the TV and...saw _her_."

Ah, _her_. There was only one person whom Milly would address in such a hateful manner. Shinn glanced at the TV, frowning

A red-haired woman was speaking on the entertainment channel, flipping her vibrant hair every now and then. Shinn immediately disliked her, but then again he was biased. He'd often heard Milly complaining about this Fllay Allster, her high school best friend, supposably. Before Milly became a cashier in this car shop, she was a news reporter until Fllay blackmailed her somehow and stole the job instead.

"It's because of her I had to work here and had the misfortune to meet Elthman," Milly hissed furiously, but controlled herself and gave Shinn his coffee.

The car mechanic took a tentative sip and, to his relief, it tasted great.

"Now, we've recently obtained a big scoop on the famous Akatsuki band's leader, Athrun Zala!" Fllay's eyes lit up excitedly, and Shinn almost choked.

On the TV screen was a picture of Athrun and Cagalli, walking close together and they both looked very happy.

"Holy crap."

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End of Chapter 7

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**A/N:** Yes, indeed, school is back. And already I'm stressed. A lot.

Yup, Daddies are scary people. Also, I just want to mention Fllay isn't exactly evil (except blackmailing Milly), she's just doing her job (the papaprazzi part).

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Please Review!

Athyra


	9. Chapter 8 Accidental Discovery

_**SUMMARY:**_Never forgetting her amber eyes and how she had given him a life, Athrun sets out on a 'mission' to win the blonde woman's heart, ignoring his best friend's warning and unforeseen obstacles. Shinn, completely enamored with an exotic dancer, must get past her protective guardian first. Auel has a few problems of his own too - torn between an interesting red-head and his protectee. A popular celebrity, an ordinary car mechanic and a simple gangster soon discover that life isn't as easy as it seems. Join them in a world of deceit, dilemmas and heartbreaks - this is what the real life is all about, right?

_**MAIN PAIRINGs:**_Athrun x Cagalli, Shinn x Stellar x Auel x Meyrin, various minor pairings

_**DISCLAIMER: **__This is a story based on characters from Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny. I don't own them!_

_**WARNING: **__Text and all related materials are rated __**PG13/T**__ and there is rather strong and coarse language and mild adult themes. So don't complain about offensive languages! XD Also, there are/might be some grammatical errors and typos, spelling mistakes, even after rereading it many times. _

_**NOTE: '**__this an AU story, meaning no reference to the Cosmic Era or Mobile Suits whatsoever'_

_I apologize for the incredibly late update. (looks at last update date) Wow. Er, sorry. There is absolutely no spare time/inspiration._

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**Chapter 8 Accidental Discovery**

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_Love can be a medicine, but it can also be a burden…_

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"This can't be happening."

Lunamaria and Rey stared at their coffee mugs, careful not to say anything. Kira paced around the living room nervously, muttering to himself. Lacus glanced back and forth from her husband and the blaring TV, which was still showing the picture some paparrazzi took.

Mr. and Mrs. Yamato were still sleeping, so were Athrun and Cagalli.

"What should we say, guys? Should we tell Athrun first, or Cagalli? She told us the deal about her fiance. Oh no he probably knew already. How can we help Cagalli..." Kira sent Rey a pleading look, thinking the bassist would get them out of this mess somehow.

Rey sipped his coffee calmly and replied, "Kira, don't panic. We need to think about this situation from our band's perspective."

"What-?"

"Rey is right, Kira," Lacus touched Kira's arm gently, "As much as I want to help Cagalli-san, there's nothing we can do. Unlike our marriage, Kira, this news will raise a lot of questions. Her father used to be an influnential man, not to mention her...fiance's father is the hospital director."

"It is a scandal, in the business world's point of view," Rey agreed, his blue eyes fixating on the spot behind Kira's shoulder. The brunette turned around to find his best friend staring at the ground guiltily.

"Er, morning, Athrun," Kira chuckled forcefully, "So, you head everything, huh."

"What am I going to do? I'm so-"

"There no need to apologize, Athrun," Lacus and Lunamaria said immediately. Kira patted his shoulder reassuringly, "I'm sure Mwu-san can do some... damage control."

As if on cue, the blond manager burst through the door frantically, "Aw man, we need to go back to the hotel ASAP! If fans get wind of where we are... I've been getting calls from them all morning, inquiring about this blonde chick!"

The band members nodded, but Athrun looked unconvinced. "How about Cagalli?"

He couldn't just leave without saying anything. Not after how they just 'found' each other again yesterday. They had so much fun last night, sharing their pasts, just simply chatting. The Yamatos welcomed Cagalli warmly and set up an extra bed in the guest room with Lunamaria.

He also remembered how they had kissed before they told each other good night. Why did something like this happen when he finally felt complete, for once? He was torn away from his musings by a very angry voice.

"How dare you threaten me! It's not like I haven't seen you with other girls before! You think you're clever? If it weren't for...WAIT! Don't tell your father!" Cagalli's furious face turned pale, but the hatred in her eyes was still evident. She gritted her teeth as she listened to the other end of the cellphone.

"Fine, I'll go," she hissed venomously. She then thrust the cellphone into her purse, breathing hard.

For what seemed like an eternity, no one said anything.

"I guess I'll get going then," she said curtly, waving goodbye to the band members. She didn't look at Athrun's direction at all.

He tried not to let the hurt appear on his expression. It was to be expected. She had told him herself, that she would choose her father over everything.

"Take care," Athrun whispered almost painfully, not wanting to look at her either. He knew that if he did, he'll want to stop her from leaving. At the rate things were going, who knew it would be the next time they'll see each other?

She stopped at the door uncertainly, "Gomen, Athrun."

He clenched his fists at her apology. After she left, Kira clapped his hands, trying to lighten the mood, "Come on, let's go back to the hotel and practice our new song. I've already left a note to my parents. They'll essentially know what's going on."

"Before we do that," Athrun breathed deeply,"Let's try to find out which bastard took that picture. Could you do that, Mwu-san?"

Lacus and Kira swallowed nervously at Athrun's word usage. The blunette meant business.

"I'll do everything I can to smooth things out," the manager promised.

* * *

"Please stop waving the painbrush, Kenny! You're spreading paints everywhere!! Tina, stop chatting and concentrate!" Auel winced at the high-pitched screech coming fom the art studio. 

"Looks like you're having a pretty tough morning," he commented casually, walking towards the redhead.

"A-Auel!" Her face was red, presumably from the anger. A dozen kids stopped whatever they were doing and stared at him, making him extremly uncomfortable.

And when he got uncomfortable, he got mad.

"What hell are you looking at me for, kids? Go back to your work and do what your teacher tells you, you hear me, you sorry bunch?" Auel gave them his best intimidating glare.

All the kids cringed visibly and went back to painting on their canvases, obviously scared of him. Auel let out a satisfied chuckle. Meyrin was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"What?"

"Why are you here, Auel?" Meyrin snapped out of her daze, "As you can see, I'm pretty busy here..."

"Busy what? Looks to me those kids are walking all over you-"

"No they AREN'T!" Meyrin glared at him defensively, "It's just that Cagalli-san's absence always seems to be some kind of signal for those kids to behave this way."

"You know I'm right," Auel smirked as she blushed deep red. Sensing an angry retort coming, Auel quickly explained himself, "Er, you see, I was just thinking, do you need someone to help you with your work here? I mean, just temporarily, until that Cagalli person comes back?"

Meyrin squinted at him suspiciously, "Well, it wouldn't be so bad if someone helped... hey, do you know anything about art?"

"Er, Stellar paints, and I buy supplies for her, so I know about art to some extend-"

"Alright."

"Eh?" Auel blinked stupidly. He didn't think she would accept that easily.

"Seeing how easy it was for you to control those kids, you might be pretty helpful after all, " Meyrin twirled her pigtail, appeared to be in deep thought. Auel's eyes followed her finger's motion, finding her habit somewhat endearing. It was like Stellar's when her body swayed unconsciously as she listened to music.

"Er, right. So, is it possible to receive some money in advance? I mean, I kinda need money right now," he averted his eyes sheepishly. "I need money to ride the train."

"What for?"

"Ah, I'm looking for clues to find Stellar. I'm worried sick about her... it's been a few weeks."

"Alright."

Auel was once again surprised at her lack of protest. She smiled encouragingly, "Just find her as soon as possible, okay?"

"I intend to," he gave her his signature roguish smile.

Gaia the puppy wagged his tail excitedly, barking softly. Auel sighed; he thought he left him tied up outside.

Meyrin's eyes lit up at the sight of the puppy, "Aww, who's the little guy?"

Auel watched the scene in shock. Gaia was licking her hand! The puppy never did that to anyone, except himself and Stellar. Even the rest of the gang could only pat Gaia, nothing more.

"That's Stellar's puppy, Gaia. I'll tell you what, I'll leave him with you, as a promise that I'll come back to work. Hopefully with Stellar."

"Really? You don't need to do that though," Meyrin laughed as Gaia snuggled against her, "I know you wouldn't run off with that money, no matter how little it is."

"Oh? Why not? I mean, I could be lying. I _am_ a gangster after all," Auel stared at her quizzically, curious at her certainty.

"It's quite obvious how much you care about Stellar. There's no way you'll lie about something like this."

Auel grinned. This girl really ain't so bad. Not to mention Meyrin really was pretty darn cute.

_Cuter than Stellar in a way. Eck, where did that some from? Stellar is the cutest, no matter what!_

He told his mind admantly, but he wasn't completely convinced of this strange new feeling.

* * *

"Hey Yzak, I'm going home for a couple of days." 

Shinn closed his eyes, anticipating an eruption from Mt. Joule. When nothing came, he opened them just in time to get whacked in the face by a very, very heavy book.

"Fine, Asuka. Just get your ass back here by Wednesday, or else," Yzak smiled. There was no need to scream or glare; Yzak's smile was creepy enough to intimidate anyone into submission, even Shinn.

"Thanks," Shinn added, deciding that despite his temper, Yzak was a pretty caring boss. The only reason Shinn would ever take breaks from his work was family matters, and Yzak knew it.

"What's this book anyways?" Shinn frowned, turning the heavy object over and almost choked at the title.

"T-The 51 Rules Must-Knows About Relationships?"

Shinn didn't need to see Yzak's face to know that the vein was twitching. "Just give it back, Asuka."

Watching his boss stomping away, Shinn suddenly wanted to laugh but decided it was best not to. Dearka sauntered up to him. "Oh, _that_ book. Guess who gave it to him?"

"Um, I would say, Shiho?"

"Bingo! Yzak told me Shiho especially bought that for him. Can you imagine?"

"Nope. Can't," Shinn grinned. Shiho was this mysterious woman Yzak was currently dating, and no one was allowed to know anything about her, other than her first name. So every now and then her name would come up and all the mechanics would try to conjure up Shiho's appearance, but she had yet to come to the car shop.

Hours later, when Shinn was riding on the train back home, his mood was back to being foul again. Yzak and Dearka's own ways of cheering him up had faded long ago.

True, the only reason he would return to his hometown, Edo, was family matter. Recently he got a phone call from his relatives that Mayu refused to go to school anymore. Nothing could persuade his little sister, maybe except him.

He glared out the window, watching the scenery half-heartedly. The stupid kids in school just won't stop teasing her about her muteness. It wasn't like Mayu had a choice; she was born this way. With their father abandoning them long ago and their mother now deceased, it was really tough for little Mayu. Shinn wished he didn't have to work in Orb, but Mayu was stubborn just like him; she didn't want her brother to stop persuing his dream because of her.

Strange, that a 10-year-old could be so mature while the rest of her classmates still bullied her simply because she can't talk. _What kind of pathetic reason is that?_

Speaking of mute people, Shinn's mind went over to a certain blonde again. The lack of police help was frustrating; if it weren't for Auel and his gang, they could've used the police's resources already.

_I never asked her, what her story was, _Shinn was suddenly embarassed by the absence of knowledge, of Stellar's past. Where she came from, how she ended up in Auel's care, and why she became mute. Yet he already liked her so much without really knowing her. How was that possible?

_It's not like I have anyone to ask that question. Athha will tease me endlessly, Dearka will laugh in my face (like he's in any position to laugh), and Athrun..._

_Maybe Athrun?_

"Oh shit, I missed my stop," Shinn cursed irritably. No big deal. He'll just have to walk a long distance...ugh.

He had no fondness for his hometown at all. Truthfully speaking, once, he couldn't wait to go to Orb to start a new life and leave his family behind. But then his mother passed away and he woke up from his selfish dream.

_I'll get you away once you graduated elementary, Mayu. _He had promised her once. _But perhaps, it's better that I get her away from this stupid school? What should I do?_

He stopped abruptly when he passed a particular house. Frowning in disgust, Shinn recalled when he used to go to the same high school with Azrael Louissier. (note)

_Please don't tell me he still lives here with his mother. _The males in the Louissier family were known for their childish tantrums and dishonesty. They completely lacked responsibility and were highly hypocritical. Azrael was a worse case; he was a known bully and relied on his gang and mother to support him. Shinn used to fight with the blond psycho a lot, but nothing seemed to change.

He was fond of Mrs. Louissier though. She and Mrs. Asuka were good friends and she was always so nice to Mayu. Which made Shinn even more confused; why would Mrs. Louissier continue to stay here, with a crazy son and a husband who claimed to be working out of town but was actually screwing with his secretary?

Shinn struggled with his feelings, the desire to see Mrs. Louissier and the disgust at seeing Azrael again. In the end, Shinn decided to give his greetings to the motherly figure.

"Shinn! What a pleasant surprise!" He smiled at her affectionately as she hugged him fondly. She seemed more haggard than he remembered, though.

"I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I should see you. How are you?"

Mrs. Louissier sensed Shinn's unasked question and replied sadly, "Unfortunately, dear, Azrael could not find a job to support himself so he had to come back home."

_Home huh. I doubt he sees it that way. Damn bastard, not appreciating such a forgiving mother._

He tried to ignore Azrael's typical yelling in the background but failed. He was very tempted to just go and beat him up, but he wouldn't do that in front of Mrs. Louissier.

"Yea, serves you right, bitch, for almost killing me years ago eh. Where's your precious knife now eh?" Typical. Azrael always shouted weird things to the wall.

"I see Azrael is still as … verbal as ever," Shinn muttered darkly. Mrs. Louissier blanched slightly, but she sighed, "Well, Shinn, I don't know what to do. Bad or not, he's still my son and well…"

"There's only one flaw in your personality, Mrs. Louissier – you're too nice. He doesn't deserve such a nice mother like you."

"Aw, can't talk back now can you, you friggin' mute? Ha! You will pay for all the freedom you've enjoyed…"

"Mute? What the… how dare he?" Shinn felt angry beyond all reason. Usually he never involved himself in their complex family relationships and Azrael's problems. But hollering to a wall or not, mute people shouldn't be treated this way. Mayu's tear-streaked face flashed in his mind and he ran past Mrs. Louissier, much to her weak protest.

"Hey, Azrael, you-" Shinn blinked.

A familiar girl was sitting on the ground, shaking not in fear, but in fury. Her magenta eyes were not wide and innocent like Shinn remembered, but jaded and deadly.

"S-Stellar..."

At his sudden intrusion, everyone froze. Azrael's wild eyes slowly moved onto Shinn's form, face white. Stellar, however, didn't seem to notice Shinn's arrival; her eyes were solely fixated on Azrael, so full of hatred.

"Oh..." Shinn spun around to see Mrs. Louissier fainting. As soon as she hit the ground, Stellar immediately snapped out of her trance, her wild eyes quickly changed into fearful ones. Her gaze caught Shinn's form when he kneeled down besides Mrs. Louissier worriedly.

He glared at Azrael, "What the HELL is going on?"

-

Note: Azrael is his last name but Murata is too dull a name and quite girlish-sounding so his name is Azrael Louissier.

-

End of Chapter 8

-

**A/N:** So Stellar's back. And now we're moving towards her side of the story and of course, Steshin. While Asucaga is one of the main pairings, so are the others, as this is a story about Athrun, Shinn and Auel.

Oh, and Shinn's hometown Edo, is another name Tokyo. I was trying to think of a name and somehow that random name came up...

Grade 12 is vicious. Calculus is brutal. I have too much stress and way too little time. The next update is probably sometime after the provincial exams and all the university crap.

Happy New Year! It's the Year of Rat, I believe.

Athyra


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